Air (2023)

[Eric the Fall Guy]

TELL ME HOW IM SUPPOSED TO BREATHE WITH NO AIR

[lilmac]

Air is a great film, boasting outstanding performances from Viola Davis and Matt Damon. Both Ben Affleck and Jason Bateman do well in their supporting roles. The decision to withhold Michael Jordan's appearance on-screen was an intriguing choice, ultimately not detracting from the movie's impact. Skillfully paced and superbly written, Air is infused with just the right touch of humor, making it an ideal choice for a delightful springtime viewing. Under Ben Affleck's masterful direction, Air earns 9 out of 10.

[Jonwo]

I did wonder why Michael Jordan had David Falk as his agent, his Mum was a much better negotiator getting that percentage of revenue deal! 

 

Although Matt Damon and Viola Davis were brilliant, it was great seeing Chris Tucker on screen again, he doesn't do much acting but the roles he's picked have been great and this is no exception.

 

 

 

Edited April 6, 2023 by Jonwo

[lilmac]

On 4/5/2023 at 11:10 PM, Jonwo said:

I did wonder why Michael Jordan had David Falk as his agent, his Mum was a much better negotiator getting that percentage of revenue deal! 

 

Although Matt Damon and Viola Davis were brilliant, it was great seeing Chris Tucker on screen again, he doesn't do much acting but the roles he's picked have been great and this is no exception.

 

 

 

 

I thought Chris Tucker was a bit over the top in this one but I too enjoy seeing him on-screen. Hope he takes on more roles in the coming years.

[Webslinger]

Air marks a swift, smooth return to the director’s chair for Ben Affleck. After an ambitious swing and a miss with his 2016 crime drama Live by Night, Affleck returns to his highly skilled form with a deeply entertaining crowd-pleaser. As scripted in a sharp and witty screenplay by Alex Convery and directed with verve by Affleck, Air takes the inner workings behind the deal that brought a young Michael Jordan to Nike and makes them feel engaging in a manner that practically feels effortless. Even with Jordan’s partnership with Nike a forgone conclusion to anyone who hasn’t lived under a rock for the last four decades, Affleck directs every scene so that it hums and projects a sense of urgency; he works within the inevitability of the final outcome by focusing on the creativity and risk-taking that led to said outcome, and he presents it in such a way that it feels richly compelling all the way through. As with most of Affleck’s previous directorial work, the acting is top-notch, with Affleck’s style allowing the actors to breathe and deliver natural, deeply appealing performances. Matt Damon works his everyman charm to great effect once again as persistent talent scout Sonny Vacarro, delivering a performance that wrings laughs and audience sympathy while never losing sight of the tenacity at his character’s core. The supporting ensemble allows time for Jason Bateman, Chris Tucker, Chris Messina, Marlon Wayans, and even Affleck himself to shine in scenes where each of them essentially get to deliver monologues with such conviction and attention to subtle character details that they earn the cheers and laughs they might elicit from audiences. Among the supporting players, though, the highlight is unquestionably Viola Davis as Jordan’s mother; in relatively few scenes, Davis imbues her character with such humanity and quiet but firm confidence that she feels convincing as a powerful influence in the story. The decision to largely sideline Jordan himself – he appears, but is blocked to be visible only at angles – also helps to amplify his larger-than-life stature. After seeing Affleck’s directorial career falter so badly amid his much-publicized personal troubles at the end of the 2010s, it’s a joy to see him having so much fun on both sides of the camera in Air, and that joy translates into what I’m sure will stand as one of this year’s most purely enjoyable pieces of entertainment. 

 

A-

 

Also, as someone from Washington state and someone who applied and got in there (but ultimately went elsewhere), I loved all the Gonzaga jokes. And as a former Portlander, I also had a "Leo DiCaprio pointing at the TV screen in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" moment at the shot of the St. John's Bridge, which used to be part of one of my running routes.

[filmlover]

This was terrific and a total crowd pleaser, and a continuation of the near perfect winning streak behind the camera for Ben Affleck (note: didn't see, and in fact had actually completely forgotten the existence of, the 2016 flop Live by Night). I was actually reminded of both Moneyball and Affleck's Argo, in that it makes the events behind the sports business fascinating even to those with no vested interest in the subject while also managing to generate a surprising amount of tension despite the outcome of the Nike/Jordan partnership already being known beforehand, with a superb amount of attention to detail in recreating the look and feel of the time period (in this case, 1984 - A+ selection of songs from the era btw). Affleck has also, as expected, recruited a stellar cast. This is one of the best performances of Matt Damon's career, as he completely disappears into the part of an out-of-shape everyday man who is as far removed from Jason Bourne as possible. There's equally noteworthy work from Jason Bateman, Chris Tucker, Affleck himself, and Chris Messina at his most delightfully hot-tempered (I need gifs of his profane meltdown over the phone with Damon whenever this becomes available on streaming ASAP ), but the other standout is Viola Davis, who once again makes an undeniable impact in her handful of scenes bringing the warmth and quiet power in equal measure. It's the kind of ensemble that the SAG Awards was created to recognize, and I suspect that this will find more than a few champions when the next awards season comes around starting in the fall. A-

[Jonwo]

I know pronunciations differ globally but the way they said Adidas did get some getting used it because in the UK it's pronounced ADI-DAS whereas the US it's A-DI-DAS.

 

 

 

[TMP]

Fantastic movie outside of the weird haze that Robert Richardson shot the movie with