By LILY TINOCO | Assistant Editor
Director and Palisadian Ben Affleck stars in his latest project “Air,” which hit theaters Wednesday, April 5.
Written by Alex Convery and directed by Affleck, “Air” explores the partnership between Michael Jordan and Nike’s basketball division, “which revolutionized the world of sports and contemporary culture with the Air Jordan brand,” according to a press release.
“This moving story follows the career-defining gamble of an unconventional team with everything on the line, the uncompromising vision of a mother who knows the worth of her son’s immense talent and the basketball phenom who would become the greatest of all time,” the press release continued.
“Air” stars Affleck as Nike co-founder Phil Knight, former Palisadian Matt Damon as Nike marketing executive Sonny Vaccaro and Viola Davis as Deloris Jordan, Michael Jordan’s mother.
Additional cast members include Jason Bateman, Chris Messina, Marlon Wayans, Chris Tucker, Matthew Maher, Gustaf Skarsgård and Julius Tennon.
In a March interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Affleck explained his decision not to show Michael Jordan in the film, despite being a vital part of the story.
“He’s a hero to me, and I know how important and meaningful a figure he is,” Affleck said. “Jordan is too big. He exists above and around the story, but if you ever concretize him, if you ever say, ‘Yes, that’s Michael Jordan,’ we know it’s not.
“I thought if the audience brought everything they thought and remembered about him and what he meant to them to the movie and projected it … it worked better.”
Since its release, the film has garnered generally positive reviews, with a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes as the Palisadian-Post went to print Tuesday, April 11.
Indiewire’s Marisa Mirabal awarded the film an A+, describing the film as “one of the best sports movies ever made.”
“Affleck successfully captures Nike’s heartwarming and hilarious marketing journey while paying respectful homage to all involved,” according to Mirabal. “‘Air’ is a tremendous underdog story filled with lovable characters. It’s truly a film about legends made by legends.”
“Air” premiered at the 2023 SXSW Film Festival, then was released in theaters in Wednesday, April 5, by Amazon Studios. The film will stream on Prime Video after its theatrical run.
With a runtime of one hour and 52 minutes, the film is rated R for language, violence and gore, profanity, and more.
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