Director: Ben Affleck
Writers: Alex Convery
Stars: Matt Damon, Jason Bateman, Ben Affleck

The story of a Nike sports marketing executive as he challenges the institution of his employers in an effort to sign an exclusive sneaker contract with upcoming rookie Michael Jordan…

In this writer’s humble opinion, the laziest critique one could give a film would be to say, “It’s predictable.” Predictability is hardly a metric for criticism. There is no doubt in my mind that Frodo will succeed on this journey to Mordor. Rocky will go the distance. The Kranks will find compassion and re-discover the meaning of Christmas.

Why would we rewatch movies knowing full well their destination if we were worried about predictability?

Now, I know what you’re thinking: why would a review about Ben Affleck’s Air, the story of Michael Jordan’s Nike deal, draw such staunch comparisons to The Fellowship of the Ring? An insurmountable task requiring an eclectic cast of characters united—through different motivations—in defeating forces of unassailable power isn’t enough to draw a comparison?

Fine. I suppose the comparison does get flimsy in comparing Converse to Sauron, but—in sincerity—the true comparison lies in the conceit of predictability. There is nothing to spoil in Air’s endgame that anyone living in the modern age would not already assume. Michael Jordan’s signature shoe still hails as one of the hallmarks of capitalistic achievement today. But any fan of cinema knows full well that knowing the destination only ever enriches the journey if the adventure is a story worth telling.

Air takes Alex Convery’s script full of complex, studious characters who want nothing more than to make something of themselves through a shared love of basketball, and makes each of them triumphantly appeal to the creative hearts in all of us with the same elevation of passion that one would find in a sports film.

In fact, Air has more in common with a sports film structure than most modern sports films, complete with the ‘I believe in this idea’ scene of Sonny Vaccaro showing a tape over and over again advocating for essentially an Easter egg that—to him—proves that Michael Jordan will be one of the greatest players to have ever lived. In this way, Air’s script is so excellent that it actually uses predictability to its advantage by influencing the audience’s trust in the protagonist since we fully know he’s right. Can Air get lost in its own pretension? Sure. Plenty of moments attempt to convey a sense of awe as they hammer heavily on beats and contrive emotional impact for the audience whereas restraint tends to be far more effective.

But Affleck’s direction still manages to craft an intimate setting that allows Nike to feel wholly relatable to any modern office. Through subtle yet clever production design, Nike immediately emerges as a down-and-out shoe company. Read that sentence again. Nike. Down-and-out. Affleck’s restraint in not playing the end at the beginning allows the journey to feel much sweeter, much more triumphant, and much more honest.

And that’s to say nothing of Affleck’s supporting turn as Phil Knight, an eccentric, purple-obsessed millionaire. Upon meeting Knight, he seems as though he’s aware that he’s on the back-nine, that the ‘great ideas’ that once made Nike are now in the rearview. He advocates for a sense of normalcy, of complacency. But once Vacarro ignites the office with a sense of hope, Knight grows from begrudgingly nervous to an emphatic champion of Vacarro’s vision. Affleck is only one of the stellar performances showcased by this outstanding ensemble.

Jason Bateman as Rob Strasser continues to prove that he is not only one of the most gifted minds in comedic timing, but also that he is one of the most interesting and subversive dramatic actors working today. And we’ve hardly spoken about Viola Davis, stepping into the shoes of Mrs. Jordan, a character that Michael himself advocated to be played by her. Davis abandons the usual showcase of her range in favor of a much stronger, quieter performance that trusts in the brilliance of the story’s heart, and as a result, she even ad-libs one of the film’s strongest lines.

There are simply not enough good things that could be said for Air, but if I may be so emboldened to add one more: in the wake of a harrowing year where millionaire producers truly showed how little they tend to care for artists and creatives that make them money, Artists Equity is the single most exciting thing to brave the storms of Hollywood.

I will leave this review simply encouraging every reader to investigate it for themselves and champion it loudly for everyone to hear.