Movie Review: Air – An ode to Michael Jordan

The film, which premiered at SXSW, chronicles the tense Nike campaign to sign Michael Jordan, then an NBA rookie, to his first sneaker deal in 1984. That contract, closed a year before the first Air Jordans were sold to the public, changed Nike’s reputation and altered the way players negotiated brand deals.

 Air will be worth seeing for most audiences just for the starry cast, particularly the reunion between Damon and Affleck. Their scenes possess a kinetic and intimate dynamism that the rest of the film approaches but doesn’t always match. The old friends are magnetic as Sonny, who’s in charge of the company’s flailing basketball division, and Phil try to take Nike to the next level.

It’s a crowd-pleaser, powered by kicky dialogue, tossed out at speed by its players. But Air has a bit of a Michael Jordan problem. Presumably in deference to the basketball legend, Affleck makes him an oddly invisible figure in the drama Jordan (Damian Delano Young) gets just one word to say, and when he’s present, the film shoots and cuts around him.

The performances are great across the board, with each cast member delivering incredibly memorable turns. Chris Tucker as Howard White is a welcomed presence whose charm plays beautifully off the drier elements of Damon’s laconic comedy style. Julius Tennon (Davis’ real-life husband) exudes friendly warmth as Michael’s father, who is clearly the softer touch of Michael’s parents but nonetheless has his own reserve of strength and wisdom. Affleck’s mere appearance is funny, but his alternating Zen approach and ways make for a terrific part of the larger cast. There isn’t a bad actor in the bunch, and they all find ways to work as an ensemble without overshadowing each other.

Affleck’s directing style is on point, with several aerial and close-up shots that allow the actors to really shine. He also includes old footage from famous commercials, music videos, and sports games to set the stage for the era audiences are about to revisit or enter for the first time. Interludes of quotes from Nike’s 10 principles also help viewers to understand the ethos of the dedicated company employees, many of which are fans and former athletes or runners themselves. For example, “our business is change,” “we’re on offense, all the time,” and “if we do the right things we’ll make money damn near automatic,” are shown throughout the film. Several references to the company’s history are mentioned throughout the film’s 1 hour and 52 minute runtime and potentially could’ve been pulled from Phil Knight’s inspirational memoir “Shoe Dog.”