Air

From the opening strains of Sting crooning “I Want My MTV”, from Dire Straits’s Money for Nothing, Air is a sure-footed slice of 80s nostalgia.

In it, Matt Damon is Sonny Vaccaro. Podgy and arguably past it, Sonny works for Nike, trying to identify pre-NBA basketball players for his company to sign up. However, there’s a problem. Nike as a brand is deeply uncool. Most players want to be with Adidas like all those rap stars who are breaking through or even Converse, the NBA stalwarts. Nike by comparison is a jogging company, and previously-approached and nascent talent, Michael Jordan has already told Nike to jog on. But confirmed gambler, Sonny Vaccaro isn’t about to take no for an answer. Can he get Nike’s new-age owner Ben Affleck and Jason Bateman’s savvy marketing boss to sign off on an all-or-nothing deal where they only make shoes for Michael Jordan? Arms folded and stem eye set on stunning, only Viola Davis as Michael’s mum has the pivotal answer.

… a sure-footed slice of 80s nostalgia.

And if you enjoyed other sporting dramas such as Ford vs Ferrari or the recent Hustle with Adam Sander then Air is a movie for you. Once again, Matt Damon is a hustler trying to convince those around him that his plan is the best one and in true gambler fashion, he is willing to risk both himself and all those around him to do it. Like the aforementioned Ford vs Ferrari, this is a role that perfectly suits Matt Damon’s sardonic yet earnest style whisky Jason Bateman’s marketing “Mr Miyagi” outlines the very perilous risks of failure. In addition to this, The Fifth Element’s Chris Tucker gets to charmingly dial down the comedy, which leaves Ben Affleck to deliver much riper ham from his corporate hippy CEO Phil Knight. Imperious throughout though, is Viola Davis as she suffers no fools in what becomes an effective two-hander between her and Matt Damon.

In a bold and clever move, we never actually get to see an actor portray Michael Jordan and as a result, his mercurial talents are never brought into question. Similarly, if you think the onscreen sums being offered are large, please consider the music licensing in what must be one of the best movie song soundtracks in years.

In the end, this is a movie about mavericks and like Affleck’s Argo, Air is a very stable affair. Less concerned about visuals and far more about characters beating each other to the punch, this based-on-real-life comedy-drama is a guaranteed three-point basket where Viola Davis nails every one of her landings.