Live by Night and the absence of Ben Affleck in the director's chair that followed had me thinking maybe he lost that magic. Well, no, he didn't, as Air is one of the year's highlights so far and his direction is a big reason why.
The film follows the story of how Nike, with a highly underwhelming basketball division, managed to sign a pretty good basketball player named Michael Jordan (not sure if you've heard of him), who had no interest in working with them. Alongside Affleck is a cast of familiar faces, and a killer soundtrack to bring this iconic story to life.
Air follows in the line of "dad movies" you just can't help but enjoy, falling in the same vein as movies like Jerry Maguire, Moneyball, and Ford v Ferrari. It'll be on in the middle of the day on many weekends or holidays in the future, and I look forward to it, cause it's a lot of fun. Alex Convery, who shockingly has nothing else on his IMDB, pens a sharp and witty script, giving us the kind of snappy dialogue that makes these kinds of movies so entertaining. It's Affleck's confident and energetic direction though that takes that script and makes it all work so well. The tone and pacing is superb, never becoming dull and consistently offering excitement despite the well known destination for this story. The soundtrack is also a big positive here, putting us into the 80s seamlessly with iconic songs, including a Dire Straits needle drop that sets the tone for the whole film. I also love how Affleck handled the iconography of Jordan as an individual. We only get glimpses of him and never head on, lending to the almost mythic figure that Jordan is. Perhaps more importantly though, Affleck mentioned how important it was to not let us be distracted by the actor playing MJ, as seeing someone else would make the viewer simply go "well that's not Michael Jordan" and distract from the rest of the story. Ultimately it's a decision that worked beautifully as the focus stays on the team at Nike that made everything happen. My biggest complaint is honestly that I wanted more, it's under two hours and I really would have enjoyed more time exploring the intricacies of this story. It also is quite by the numbers, but it's a formula that works so I'm not too bothered.
As for the cast, it's pretty terrific all around. Matt Damon does his thing, this is probably his funniest role since The Martian but he also has some shining moments of dramatic acting including a pretty elite monologue. Affleck is a little goofy but also a lot of fun and has his moments as well. Jason Bateman is a pretty perfect compliment to Damon's performance, same with Chris Tucker and Marlon Wayans in a small role. Viola Davis as Jordan's mom is captivating as ever, offering a presence and intelligence that make her seem like a veteran of the sporting world rather than someone's mom. And lastly Chris Messina gives an unhinged and hilarious performance as Jordan's agent, giving some banter with Damon that was a massive highlight.
All in all, you know what you're getting with this. It's a fun true story, told effectively by Affleck and this terrific cast. You don't need to know much about basketball to have a fun time with this, it's just a great story done well.
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