Review: Ben Affleck’s Historical Dramedy ‘Air’ Impressively Takes Flight

 What Cameron Crowe’s Jerry Maguire (1996) does for football and Bennett Miller’s Moneyball (2011) does for baseball, Ben Affleck’s latest directorial effort, Air, does for basketball.

Like Jerry Maguire, it’s about a guy once successful in the athletics industry trying to convince an athlete with a lot of potential to sign with him before the former is out of a gig. Indeed, Maguire cast member Jay Mohr even has a bit part in Air. And like Moneyball, Affleck’s new movie is about the ins and outs of how the sports community works beyond the games.

For someone who has never cared about sports, it takes a lot to enjoy and recommend a movie in this genre. But if the storytelling and execution are done well, like Jerry Maguire and Moneyball were, then a movie about athletes can occasionally grab my attention. Fortunately for Affleck and team, Air is now one of those pictures.

Set in 1984 Oregon, Air begins showing us that the sneaker world is on its last thread. Adidas, Converse and Nike are all below 50% in market share, with Nike dead last at 17%. The shoe corporations are desperately trying to grab the attention of up-and-coming basketball stars, and none of them are sticking.

Nike guru Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon) is losing his mojo and can’t seem to come up with a strategy to recruit the next spokesperson — until, suddenly, he has an epiphany. Michael Jordan is predicted to be the future of basketball, and Sonny thinks that if this is true, and Nike puts its priority on Jordan, then the future of their sneakers is assured.

Jason Bateman, Chris Tucker and Affleck himself co-star as Sonny’s Nike co-workers Rob Strasser, Howard White and Phil Knight. Chris Messina plays Jordan’s agent David Falk, and Viola Davis is Jordan’s mother, Deloris. Right away Air presents us with a stellar montage of 1980s pop culture set to Dire Straits’ classic “Money for Nothing.” It perfectly sets the tone for the rest of the dialogue-heavy historical dramedy.

The stakes are low and the plot is simple. We know Nike and MJ are going to take over basketball. Yet the cast and Affleck’s direction are entertaining enough for a Friday or Saturday night at the theater.

Air is the best recent example of an adult-oriented film being fun and enjoyable with just good chemistry from everyone involved.