Just Do It – AIR Review

AIR tells the amazing story of NIKE’s rise to fame in the basketball shoe business, with captivating characters and sometimes unconvincing conflicts. Still, it’s easily Ben Affleck’s best directing work to date.

One of the most defining powers of cinema is to make us feel involved in topics we don’t really know anything about. Speaking for myself, I don’t really care about shoes, and even less about basketball – but Ben Affleck managed to get me interested in both, for the duration of AIR, and maybe even beyond.

In 1984, Converse and Adidas ruled the basketball shoe market, while Nike was struggling to keep up with the competition. It’s clear that they needed something new, or rather someone new, a great player who would not only wear their shoes but be the shoes. Thus, the fight for Michael Jordan starts, forcing Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon), a sports marketing executive, to take huge risks that could mean an end not only to his career but to those around him.

“AIR” is a classic American success story, with all of its ups and downs. The cast does a really great job of creating a sense of true struggle in the company’s life, even though some of the conflicts feel forced. However, the dialogues are so well-written that you get encapsulated in the story no matter what, not to mention the story atmosphere of 80s America, amplified by great music choices. What’s also important is that they weren’t shy to mention some of the skeletons in the basement in the case of all three major companies.

Overall, “AIR” is one of those films that have an incredible cast and seeing them interact is more than enough for it to work, for the most part. It tells a really special moment in NIKE’s story, without breaking new ground in terms of storytelling. Nevertheless, it’s a well-crafted, exceptionally presented film that really makes me want Ben Affleck to direct more. Even though I probably won’t start watching basketball in the future, I’ll most likely buy an AIR Jordan.