"A shoe is just a shoe, until my son steps into it" says Deloris Jordan, she already knows her son is destined for greatness. It's the mid 1980s and Nike are floundering in the sneaker industry, as they face fierce competition with more popular shoe brands Adidas and Converse. Nike Executive/basketball expert Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon) thinks he has the answer to their problems - spend all of their limited budget on up and coming basketball player Michael Jordan and create a revolutionary 'Air' sneaker designed entirely around the player. With Michael leaning towards a deal with Adidas or Converse, Vaccaro reaches out to the Jordan family at their home in North Carolina, with the intention of befriending Deloris (Viola Davis) and James R. Jordan Sr. (Julius Tennon) to help convince Michael to join Nike and help them to create the greatest athletic sneaker of all time.
As a director, Ben Affleck has always been consistent in his commitment to telling interesting, compelling stories (Argo, The Town, Gone Baby Gone) and Air is no exception. The film has all the elements of a classic underdog story, with a witty script and an engaging, solid narrative. Alongside Matt Damon as Sonny Vaccaro, there's a terrific ensemble cast - Ben Affleck as eccentric CEO Phil Knight, Chris Tucker as NBA liaison Howard White, Jason Bateman as Marketing Director Rob Strasser and Chris Messina as foul mouthed sports agent David Falk.
But it's Viola Davis who steals the show as Jordan's mother Deloris, playing her with incredible charisma and show stopping force. She refuses to see her son be exploited by suits in a boardroom and makes it clear that for any deal to go ahead, her son must earn a percentage of every Air Jordan sold. It was a record breaking contract, one that has made a lot of money for both Nike and Jordan, while also having a huge impact on the future of sports marketing. Jordan himself isn't in the movie, a creative decision made by Affleck to avoid making things look too gimmicky. Instead, we see a montage of clips showcasing his stardom and legacy, a legacy that has had an incredible impact on contemporary culture and has revolutionised the world of competitive sport forever.
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