Take flight

Review | Ben Affleck’s ‘Air’ revolutionizes the sport film

By JACK CALABRESE The Breeze

We’ve seen plenty of stories about Michael Jordan, one of the greatest and most recognizable athletes on the planet. “Air” isn’t one of those tales. It’s the story of a hapless talent scout who makes the riskiest bet of his life and wins bigger than anyone could’ve imagined.

In 1984, the Nike basketball division was crumbling under the heavy competition of Converse and Adidas. It didn’t have the same star power — Converse had “Magic” Johnson and Larry Bird — or connection with the youth, Adidas had the flyest tracksuits around, to maintain relevance in the basketball sector. It needed a home run.

Unlikely hero Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon), a basketball guru and talent scout, stumbles across a rookie who he thought could change Nike forever. The only problem was nobody else believed in him.

Damon, Viola Davis, Jason Bateman, Ben Affleck and Chris Tucker headline an all-star — rather, an all-NBA — cast in this one. Each role fits the stars perfectly, save for Damon, who’s trying a type that blossomed in the later years of his career. His performance is reminiscent of his 2019 role in the critically acclaimed “Ford vs. Ferrari,” except his character’s swagger and accomplishment are at a much lower level in this movie. But his motivation, to find and create greatness, remains the same.

This film’s cast raises a great question: Can anyone be a standout when everyone is absolutely on fire? Everyone in this movie’s cooking. They’re surely helped by a great script with wit and humor, and a sleek tonality orchestrated by Affleck’s direction.

The sports movie has evolved significantly over the last 50 years, and this movie may be the first in a new generation of sports-related media. It’s also the final form of a shifted sports movie archetype that “Moneyball” set in motion in 2013, in which the drama takes place on the sidelines, behind the scenes and in the office instead of in the games. There are dozens more stories like “Air” waiting to be told, and they may get their shot now that a movie like this worked.

The reunion of Affleck and Damon has dominated this movie’s headlines, and they deliver. They’ve got great chemistry as always, and they share the most intense scenes of the movie. From these scenes alone, you would’ve never guessed they’re great friends off screen because they effectively bite into each other. We can only hope they’ll continue to work with each other both on screen and behind the scenes.

By far, the most emotional scene is the meeting between Jordan’s family and the Nike team. The stakes are set, and now it’s up to Vaccaro and Nike to execute their plan and sign Jordan. Vaccaro gives a passionate speech set to a montage of Jordan’s greatest and worst moments. It’s the most of Jordan’s face we see in the movie, and it leaves the viewer with the most to ponder coming out of the theater.

While the absence of Jordan is handled effectively for the most part, there are a couple of scenes where it’s unavoidably incomplete without him. The movie tries to fill his place by emphasizing the role of his parents, James and Delores Jordan, but it’s hard to believe he wouldn’t have been vocal and active in this process.

This movie will definitely prompt younger generations to check out the styles and music of the 1980s. It’s really an ode to the ’80s in many ways but doesn’t let the vibes dominate too much. The opening montage especially captures the magic of that decade by including a carefully curated mix of popular figures and items.

“Air” is one of the best written and acted pieces of the year. It’s a must-see, and it’s a movie that will keep people talking about the sports world and Jordan for years to come. You don’t want to miss this one; go see it in theaters now.

CONTACT Jack Calabrese at Calabrjl@dukes.jmu.edu.

For more on the culture, arts and lifestyle of the JMU and Harrisonburg communities, follow the culture desk on Twitter and Instagram @Breeze_Culture.

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