With a simple but entertaining story, great direction, terrific writing, and fantastic performances, Air is an outstanding biographical sports drama — and it just might be the ultimate dad movie of the year.
Overall Score: 9/10
Image: Amazon Studios
“They just don’t make movies like that anymore.” I’m sure we’ve all thought that at some point. Just think. When was the last time you watched a star-studded adult drama that was genuinely good and simple? If I had to guess, your answer would probably be “a long time ago.”
I mean, seriously, if you think about it, films like 1988’s Working Girl have all but faded from the world of cinema. Why? Well, the short answer is that they’ve been replaced instead with more “popular” flicks — action, science fiction, and horror movies that only exist to do nothing more than entertain you for a couple of hours and empty your wallets.
But fear not, because if a terrific adult drama featuring an A-list cast is what you’re looking for, then Air is exactly what you need.
Set in the ‘80s, Air tells the story behind the legendary deal between Nike and Michael Jordan that led to the creation of the company’s world-famous Air Jordan shoe line. Now, an inexperienced team of filmmakers may not have been able to do much with a simple premise like this, but Ben Affleck — who’s by now proven himself to be a very skilled director — and writer Alex Convery succeed in creating from it a film that’s fun, funny, and altogether highly entertaining.
Let’s start with the former. Unlike what he’s previously done in his other directorial efforts, here, Affleck settles for a much more conventional and restrained directing approach. And while this means that he may not take any wild or ambitious swings, he at least makes sure that he does the absolute best he can with what he delivers. It’s sort of like watching a seasoned director take on a more simplistic and straightforward project (similar to what Steven Spielberg did with Catch Me If You Can), and hey, I’d argue that this approach fits and even enhances Air.
Moving on to the screenplay, although I’ve never heard of Convery before, I have to say that his writing here is outstanding. Again, as I previously mentioned, the premise of this film is quite simple, but rather impressively, Convery adds several layers of depth to it through engaging and realistic characters and dialogue that’s sharp, witty, and even powerful when it needs to be.
But we mustn’t forget that a well-directed and well-written movie is nothing without a great cast, and luckily, Air has one of the best in recent memory. Everyone — from Matt Damon and Ben Affleck to Jason Bateman, Chris Tucker, and Viola Davis — is fantastic and effectively sells and brings to life the respective characters they play. And sure, although they don’t deliver big, dramatic performances like the ones we’re used to seeing from them, these actors bring a certain level of authenticity, sincerity, and believability to their roles, and, honestly, that’s what really counts. Hopefully, this cast will continue to remain in the conversation by the end of the year, and maybe, just maybe, they’ll be nominated for Best Ensemble at the SAG Awards. Now wouldn’t that be cool?
And lastly, I’d like to briefly touch on the fact that the craft involved in this film is phenomenal. For instance, both the production and costume designs do excellent jobs of recreating the unique look and feel of the ‘80s. And heck, so do the makeup and hairstyling!
All in all, though Air might admittedly be simple, it’s an undeniably great movie all around — and perhaps even this year’s best dad film. It’s got terrific writing, strong direction, and plenty of outstanding performances. It’s something your parents will definitely enjoy, and if you’re an old soul like me, you’ll likely love it too. Not many flicks of this kind are made nowadays, so hopefully, with the amount of success it’s already achieved thus far, Hollywood’s major studios and A-list stars will once again see that there’s value in producing and starring in simple dramas like Air.
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