Sure, in its surface the film is about a shoe and it's journey to prominence, which that alone sounds uninteresting, bur when you add elements like Affleck's masterful direction, he getting the most out of his actors through their performances, a solidly written script from a first time writer, and a rich, and often charming story about beating the odds. Surprisingly though, a film about something associated with Michael Jordan doesn't have many showings of Jordan in anyway. There is an actor who plays him but we don't even see his face, and I'm sure there's a reason for it, it was just something that I noticed. The film focuses more on the parents of Michael Jordan especially his mother. Without any scenes between Michael and his mom I still get a sense of the relationship between the two. However, where the film really shines is the interaction between the characters. Affleck does a good job of making me feel engaged with the characters through their relationships and building those as the film progresses. I also really enjoyed seeing some of these actors that haven't been around in a while such as Chris Tucker who I thought held his own against powerhouses like Damon, Affleck, Davis, and Bateman. I do think his character abruptly left the film midway through the second half it kind of felt sudden and made me feel saddened because I was enjoying his performance so much. Viola Davis again shows why she is one of the best actresses working today. She does the exact opposite of what she did in "The Woman King", instead of going big, and grand, she went and did something subtle and dramatic. I'm always amazed how glued I am to the screen when she is present. Jason Bateman shows his versatility with some incredible scenes with him in it, making me interested in any movie he appears in, because I know he can turn in a great performance. I became a fan of his after "The Gift" but this one was next level stuff. Overall, I had a great time with this film. The direction, acting, writing, compelling scenes and character moments, a nice harken to the 80s and the phenomenal time to be a basketball fan due to Jordan's rising star, funny moments all tie in together to put a nice bow on the nicely wrapped film.
Review of Air
