REVIEW: AIR

4/5

Good Shoe Dog Hunting.

112 Mins. Starring: Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Jason Bateman, Marlon Wayans, Chris Messina, Matthew Maher, Julius Tennon, Chris Tucker & Viola Davis. Director: Ben Affleck. 

Up in the air, there was a time when footwear giant Nike, blocked and out of bounds, almost heard the final buzzer when it came to basketball. Just done like the slogan whose beginnings you'll never believe. But then in 1984 came a game changer like Orwell. The third pick that made the earth sick as Jay said. MJ with the fade away, perfect. Now Nike are synonymous with their swoosh as brand recognizable without the name as the golden arches of McDonald's M that's had more people pulling over than police, and the digital sustenance of that bitten Apple. And we haven't even begun to talk about the Jumpman logo yet. LeBron James just passed Adidas ambassador and fellow Laker legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the greatest scorer in NBA history in a pair of his own signature Nike's. But MJ changed the game like his Jackson initial sake. Along with the Air to his Jordan name. And this is the story of how one man, and a company almost working out of a shoebox, made us believe we could all fly. 

One that from its Dire Straits MTV beginnings could only be born in the U.S.A. like the Springsteen soundtrack making a point. A big score that owes Tangerine Dream a cheque Spotify streams will probably cash. The Holy Grail of the hardwood, the first Air Jordan sneaker really is the most beautiful basketball shoe of all time. Changing the 600-year footwear industry for the first time since we distinguished between left and right. But they were just a pair of shoes before Michael Jeffrey Jordan stood in them and took off beyond the Chicago skyline to a whole other space jam, man. Number 23 is so legendary. So iconic, no one could truly capture him. And his mythic, God like status is give more magic by a body double you only see from behind like the opponents did the last name on the back of his jersey as he blew right past them. Mike was as involved in this as he was the glorious ESPN 30 For 30 come locked down Netflix documentary during the pandemic 'The Last Dance' that made us all believers again, in more ways than one. It was Jordan after all, who decided who would play his mother Deloris. 

Owing much to the big-hitting 'Moneyball' with 'The Social Network' media swagger, 'Air' has its time in theatres right before the Amazon Studios picture hits prime streaming. And one of the biggest pictures of the year is also the best, don't let it be outside an Oscar nomination just because it's come a few weeks after The Academy's awards. Don't save it all for the fall. Cinema, let alone Netflix and Disney Plus have had a full court press of basketball content since that dance, but none can step like this in a fresh pair of J's. Even if director Ben Affleck has bare feet on the desk as the Timberlake NSYNC era curls of CEO 'Shoe Dog' Phil Knight. Playing the comedic contradictions of this billionaire Buddhist with the bestseller perfectly. Affleck portrayed an alcoholic basketball coach with power as the pandemic hit in 'The Way Back'. Now our love of the game isn't the only thing that is being reunited. 

Boston born best friends with the pride of a Celtic, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon won scriptwriting Oscars 'Good Will Hunting' with the late, great Robin Williams. Damon went on to remain one of the world's best actors and most marketable in movies. Whilst Affleck amazed as a director (his big-three beginnings came with 'Gone Baby Gone', 'The Town' and The Academy Award-winning 'Argo' ("f### yourself!"). He even became Batman and the best Bruce Wayne. And now after struggles on and off-screen, Ben is back. Even though we love Matt Reeves and Robert Pattinson, we still would have loved to see his Batman movie, but will get to see him crusade in capes one last time in 'The Flash' alongside Michael f#####g Keaton. Now, just after writing (with Nicole Holofcener) and playing together (Affleck in yet another amazing wig) for 'The Last Duel' of Ridley Scott, they are Jordan and Pippen partnering up again. Forging their own dynasty with their studio Artists Equity production company that makes sure everyone on the roster gets their fair share. 

That's more than fitting in a shoe deal movie that paved the hall of fame way for the player empowerment we see today from the King to the last man on the pine. Damon's stirring speeches as basketball guru Sonny Vaccaro could rewrite any a cheque. Especially in classic closing. But it's his video one room dissecting young Michael's off the ball play before he hit his college championship winning shot that had me shed a tear for more than just the reason that I love this game like I do my first. It's more than worthy of your nomination too. Just like the woman king and the only one who could play Michael Jordan's Mom, Viola Davis. Pure presence in all her power, lobbying and betting it all on Nike...as she already knew her son was a sure thing. What Deloris did for young black athletes rights matters and Viola just makes it vivid. Having Davis' real life husband Julius Tennon play the late James Jordan Sr. hits the sweet spot with feeling too. 

An all-star cast is the only thing that could make this 'Air' fly in the rarefied kind. Outstanding 'Ozark' actor Jason Bateman again like Davis is always brilliant. But don't understate either of their evergreen talents. 'Rush Hour' legend Chris Tucker gives us one of his best performances ever, keeping the laughs rolling like that first film with Jackie. Whilst with one dream of an important speech in his shirt pocket, Marlon Wayans bar-room scene of classic counsel passes it all. But it's 'Live By Night' star Chris Messina who steals the show as agent David Falk with an acid tongue that if not hilarious would convince you there was poison in that pen along the dotted line. Speaking of living by night, frequent Affleck collaborator and stage actor Matthew Maher is grand as the designs of Peter Moore. If only the real deal architect of the Air Jordan could see this movie that was sadly announced a mere month after his passing. What he would see is all types of colourways of his legendary cleat creep up the darkened stairs of cinema screens, carrying their own light. Worn with fandom and pride like band tees at biopics, Marvel t-shirts at superhero movies and Star Wars costumes in that galaxy far, far away. Legend and legacy, all in the same air. TIM DAVID HARVEY. 

Further Filming: 'Moneyball', 'The Way Back', 'The Last Dance'.