Movie Review: Affleck's 'Air' jams on performances

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s a shoe! 

Moving Pictures: Air Review

By Mo Burford

What I’m about to say is something of a cliche in conversations around film, but I’m going to say it anyway: This movie has no business being as good as it is.

In talking to my partner after watching the movie, I described it as something that probably would have been a made-for-TV movie when we were kids, or at best direct to video. But in the hands of Ben Affleck’s directing and an all-star cast of incredible performances, the film is elevated and you feel like you’re watching a capital “F” Film, even if in the end you’re left wanting something a little more substantial. 

The story of Air is about the real-life ragtag group of executives in Nike’s, at the time, nearly non-existent basketball shoe line, who come together to try and land Michael Jordan as a spokesperson for their basketball shoes against all odds.

When I heard about this movie, I thought it sounded boring—and it probably should’ve been!

But it’s not.

It’s riveting. It’s funny. It’s heartfelt. It’s an 80’s nostalgia piece. It’s a sports drama, without any actual sports being played. It’s also about how an already billion-dollar company became a true behemoth. In many ways, it’s a two-hour commercial for Nike that borders on being Nike propaganda. So it’s weird to watch too. 

Viola Davis as Deloris Jordan

The heart of the film is its performances, in particular, Viola Davis as Michael Jordan’s mother Deloris Jordan (we never actually see Michael Jordan in the film and only hear a few words spoken by him). Now, Viola Davis is always good, but in this movie, it’s astonishing how much work she’s doing for a movie about a shoe; she is utterly captivating in every scene she appears in.

The film is stacked with other great performances from Matt Damon, Chris Tucker, Jason Bateman, Marlon Wayans (in a brief but affecting scene), Chris Messina, and Matthew Maher. Every one of these actors gives a deeply compelling, exciting and nuanced performance.  

But all this effort does beg the question, why? to what end?

And that leads to the real flaw of the film, that it is ultimately about a huge business deal that was lucrative to all parties involved; and I found that it couldn’t really make the case that the Air Jordan has much of a lasting cultural significance, besides its huge popularity—and that of its namesake Michael Jordan.

I was left feeling like I watched something immaculately constructed and beautifully acted that at its core held nothing but air. However, I loved the time I spent watching the film and would easily recommend it to just about anyone.

Air (2023)

★★★★

(four stars)

Air is now playing that Columbia Cinema and Skylight Theater and Pub. Questions, comments, movie suggestions? Email Mo at movingpicturesccc@gmail.com

Questions, comments, or movie suggestions? Email Mo at movingpicturesccc@gmail.com

For more reviews and to see his up-to-date movie log, follow Mo at Letterboxd