Air

Ben Affleck with his writer Alex Convery bring to the screen the story of Nike’s battle to sign a young Michael Jordan to their brand. Matt Damon is Sonny Vaccaro Nike’s basketball talent scout, tasked with bringing the best talent to the brand in an attempt to drive sales in its failing basketball division. Frustrated by Nike’s previous attempts Vaccaro suggests to marketing head Richard Strasser (Jason Bateman) and CEO Phil Knight (Affleck) that they change strategy and rather than spread their small budget they go “all in” on one future star, Michael Jordan. Up against the giants of Converse and Adidas, Vaccaro uses his belief, desire and contacts to win over Jordan’s mother Delores (Viola Davis) to get a chance with Jordan himself and setup what would be a new type of deal that would change sports licensing.

What seems like a dry idea, under Affleck’s direction and Convery’s script, is an enjoyable telling of a fascinating story that would change sports sponsorship. It stays accessible by avoiding focussing on the technicalities of the contract or Jordan’s prowess as an athlete, in fact Jordan (played by Damian Delano Young) only appears in profile, rather it focusses on the individuals and the fight to change attitudes and take risks to win against the odds.

It is helped by a smart script that not only does a great job at developing its main characters, in its surprisingly short runtime of 112 minutes, but does so with a well judged sense of humour. It also looks great recapturing 1984 with its colour pallete and evocation of 80’s nostalgia including its excellent soundtrack.

The supporting performances are excellent with the main players well supported by the likes of Matthew Mayer, Chris Tucker, Marlon Waynas and Chris Messina.

Air, under Affleck’s direction and Convery’s storytelling, is an engaging telling of a fascinating story. With a high quality cast that deliver what you’d expect. It looks and sounds great with a script that zips along. Who knew one of the best films I would have seen this year would be about contract negotiations for a pair of shoes!