‘Air’ Movie Review: Ben Affleck’s Formulaic Sports Film Shoots and Scores
While Ben Affleck’s Air may be approached in an incredibly paint-by-numbers structure, its high spirits will make you leave the theater happy.
If Top Gun: Maverick was the dad movie of 2022, then Ben Affleck’s Air is the dad movie of 2023. It’s so unapologetic in its celebration of 1980s culture that it immediately immerses you in how Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon) and Phil Knight (Ben Affleck) secured the deal of a lifetime for Michael Jordan to be sponsored by Nike. The rest is history, and Affleck doesn’t even need to show an actor playing Jordan once. It’s all about the people behind the deal that are worth spotlighting. Some of it is brilliantly written and acted, but the film can’t help but stay in an aggressively formulaic structure from beginning to end.
Of course, it’s a biopic that needs to stay true to the facts and tell the story a certain way. I get that. But, a week ago, Tetris, another biopic on the brains behind “the deal of a lifetime” had a different approach: structuring the deal through “levels” that Henk Rogers (Taron Egerton) had to go through to get worldwide rights for the video game. Ben Affleck could’ve had the opportunity to reinvent the wheel, and he certainly has the right technical team. Cinematographer Robert Richardson tries to give this talking-heavy film energy by moving the camera in circular ways and finding a rhythm to how the characters walk in and out of the frame while Tangerine Dream needle drops fill the soundscapes.
Honestly, it’s pretty cool to see Matt Damon watch a VHS tape of a young Jordan in his prime while Tangerine Dream’s Shop Territory (from Firestarter!) blares out in the speakers. Firestarter may not be a good movie, but that soundtrack is ace and gives Air the right vibe to embody the 1980s. The costume design is also excellent. Charlese Antoinette Jones’ fashion choices for Affleck’s Knight are honestly Oscar-worthy. His flashy jackets and polarized sunglasses give him the air (heh) he needs to sell his character, and he gives the best performance he’s given in years.
After playing Batman in Justice League, Affleck’s personal life took a nosedive, and it’s unfortunate to see the personal toll it took for him to play the character. Watching him have fun with one of his best friends and a team of highly-talented supporting players, including Jason Bateman, Chris Messina (who is always incredible), Viola Davis, Chris Tucker, Matthew Maher, and Marlon Wayans. Some of the characters are a tad underdeveloped, but everyone gives their all, and it’s so great to see Affleck have a ball with actors he clearly respects and knows their strengths. Davis is terrific as Jordan’s mother, Deloris, but Messina is the biggest standout of the movie as David Falk, who shares the best telephone call of the year so far with Damon’s Vaccaro.
It’s just a shame how aggressively paint by numbers the movie is. Everyone is at the top of their game, but Affleck and screenwriter Alex Convery adopt a structure that audiences have seen too many times before to feel fresh and exciting. However, since the film's tone is less dramatic and far more energetic, there’s lots of fun to be had while watching Air. Affleck’s love for Tangerine Dream and classic 80s tunes shines brightly throughout the runtime, giving it the tone it needs for audiences to board the project from beginning to end. It may not be a perfect movie, but it’s at least one that knows how to have a good time and bring audiences along with it. It’s impossible to leave the theater without a huge smile on your face. It’s the definitive crowd-pleaser of 2023 for sure.