by Samuel Nichols, Contributing Writer
Michael Jordan isn’t a man. He’s a god. Larry Bird said it himself. Look it up. People worship the courts he played on, build shrines to his feats of athletic ability, and endlessly sing his praises even 20 years after he last laced up his shoes. So it is only fitting that the story told by Air, about how Jordan signed with Nike sports apparel, is bold, bombastic and important. Because the man’s life and career have been nothing short of legendary.
In 1984 Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon) is looking for some young basketball players for Nike to endorse. They don’t think they can get some of the big-name rookies who were just drafted, and with a limited budget from Nike CEO Phil Knight (Ben Affleck), it appears that the basketball division won’t be doing much. But Vaccaro is so taken by the talents of one 21-year-old Michael Jordan that he’s willing to take a personal to visit his mother Deloris’ (Viola Davis) home, against the advice of his boss, Rob Strasser (Jason Bateman), and Jordan’s agent, David Falk (Chris Messina). With his job, and perhaps the company’s future, on the line, Vaccaro and his friends pull out all the stops to get Jordan to join the Nike family.
Now, an immediate criticism you could have about this movie is that the second you google the phrase “Air Jordan,” you can see the Nike swoosh on the side of his shoes. You know that Nike gets Jordan, or if you didn’t, it becomes obvious very quickly. But I think in the right hands, that “lack” of tension can play in your favor. Because in Air, Jordan’s legacy is known, but seeing the real life story of how his professional life would play out is important. What was at stake for those who you didn’t see on TV everywhere in the 1990s? Vaccaro’s job and livelihood were on the line. The future of Nike basketball was decided. Knight’s business and company stood to be changed forever. Knowing how everything plays out makes this smaller story feel all the more important.
Credit needs to go to Affleck for his direction in this movie. I know his career behind the camera has had its ups and downs, but he really comes through here. Through shots of meetings and phone calls in cubicles and board rooms, he manages to tie together the mundane feel of an office world with the importance of what’s being done. There’s a subtlety to all of this, mixed with a quiet intensity of men on a mission that really works for me. Kudos to Mr. Affleck. Sorry you didn’t get to make your Batman movie. This was good, too.
Those people Affleck directs in front of the camera sell the movie just as well. Damon, Affleck himself, and Bateman all get time to have inspirational or down-to-earth moments during their dealings with one another. None of them in particular stand out, but they are doing well. Conversely, Messina and Davis are like diamonds shining brightly here. Messina is the abrasive and unflinching Falk who will stop at nothing to get the best deal for the young Mr. Jordan. He must’ve downed two to three shots of espresso before his scenes, because he has no brakes and no filter. It juxtaposes nicely against the more controlled performances in the movie. Davis, on the other hand, wouldn’t be characterized as controlling, but rather as endearing. As Jordan’s mother Deloris, she has a clear picture of what her son will become as he gets older. She may not have all the details, but she knows how her son is destined for greatness. And that confidence and hope she portrays is inspiring every time she gets on screen.
I know we are only a three-and-a-half months into the year at this point, but I think we may have found an early awards contender. With a deep cast like that and a valuable true story, this movie may have legs to it. Now it would need to survive the onslaught of being released two days prior to The Super Marios Bros. Movie. But there’s a fighting chance for it to do so, and how poetic that fighter’s chance is, given the history of Jordan’s career.
Score: 8/10
Air is currently playing in theaters
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