Air Review: Ben Affleck Gives Nike And Air Jordan The Moneyball Treatment [SXSW 2023]
Ben Affleck has been a mainstay of the screen for three decades, dating back to his days in “Dazed and Confused,” all the way up through his recent acclaimed turns in films like “The Last Duel.” But while Affleck has continued to work as an actor very consistently, it has been a full seven years since he stepped behind the camera to direct a film in the form of 2016’s unfortunate flop “Live by Night.” At long last though, Affleck is back with his latest directorial effort “Air,” which tells the story of how Nike created its legendary Air Jordan line of shoes around Michael Jordan, aka the greatest basketball player in the history of the game. To put it simply, having Affleck back behind the camera is welcome.
The film, which I caught at SXSW where its world premiere was held, does not necessarily focus on Michael Jordan, even though he does indeed have a presence in the film. But as he is a mythical figure, Affleck opts to focus on the other players involved in this game-changing deal, led by his friend and frequent collaborator Matt Damon as Sonny Vaccaro, the man who was at the center of this whole thing.
We are dropped right in the heart of the ’80s as the movie takes place in 1984 and focuses on a fledgling basketball division at Nike that is desperate for answers. In that desperation, Vaccaro has the bold idea to target Jordan, set to be a rookie in the NBA, and build an entire shoe line around him — a single, untested player. Naturally, this is met with resistance and there are many hoops to jump through on the road to making history.
Air Review: Ben Affleck Gives Nike And Air Jordan The Moneyball Treatment [SXSW 2023]
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