Review: 'AIR' doesn't demand your knowledge of basketball & still connects with its intended emotions

Even just a few minutes into the film, you are immediately bolstered by how this is much more than a basketball film, this is much more than a shoe brand taking the biggest risk, and most importantly how this is much more than a film.

AIR

AIR

Like basketball or not; know anything about basketball or not - AIR is still the kind of movie experience you remember for a distant time. If a sports-drama, more so, a biographical sports drama is able to produce a feeling in you that your usually loved sport film does - the job is done well. AIR - Courting a Legend might seem a niche story that is only made for the Americans or mainly for the basketball lovers (which India doesn't have in abundance) but it rises above all those assumptions in the best possible way. 

How did Nike manage to bring in the 'best basketball player ever' - Michael Jordan, where they were not even in the running let alone competing with top contenders like Adidas and Converse? The story of a maverick sports executive/basketball 'guru' and an equally 'mad' billionaire business magnate coming together with some important people to crack a deal for their shoe brand that would change everyone's lives forever - AIR  talks about that and much more. Having had the opportunity to see the film beforehand, here is what I thought about it-

Impeccable Screenplay & Direction

Impeccable Screenplay & Direction

Actor Ben Affleck's directorial skills have never been in question. Let us keep the Oscar-winning Argo and one of the best films in recent times, The Town aside though - Affleck has a knack for being able to keep things conversational, fathomable and most importantly, relatable. A film that is so heavy on the knowledge and game awareness of basketball, Affleck makes sure it doesn't become a lecture or a jargon-heavy film. 

Whenever the scene demands a few sport terminologies and business words being thrown around, Affleck cleverly blends it with humor and casual conversation between the characters. And this further should be credited to the writer of the film, Alex Convery. The constant exchange between characters where the ambition, desperation and sheer love for the shoe brand and more so, for the sport is apparent and infectious.

The Humor, Performances & Viola Davis

The Humor, Performances & Viola Davis

As teased above, humor becomes such an integral tool in AIR almost constantly. Coming at the expense of Chris Messina as David Falk, Chris Tucker as Howard White and even Matt Damon as Sonny Vacaro himself - there is a chuckle, a laugh and a light-hearted moment in each sequence. 

This becomes even more important as it keeps you engaged after you have been doused upon factoids about basketball or the cut-throat shoe market in general. And while humor is what drives the film, one cannot forget the sheer heart that lies at the core of this film - it is about two 'madmen' taking risks bigger than their lives and it is about a rookie player, who is set to be a top star being envisioned as the G.O.A.T by one of those madmen - such attributes require heart, soul and emotions - which is expertly portrayed by the entire cast. Damon, Bateman, Tucker, Messina, Ben Affleck himself as Phil Knight and others give  some of their finest performances as you would expect. 

However, did you notice I have written 'performances and Viola Davis' - that is because the woman is above and beyond everyone. Davis, playing Michael's mother, Deloris Jordan is absolutely fantastic and I, along with the many people in the screening hall were cheering and hooting at her dialogues. Davis plays Deloris with a poise, awareness, love and calmness that not many would have been able to imbibe in this role. It is said that Michael Jordan himself insisted that Davis plays his mother on-screen - no wonder,  as if there ever was!

The Little Fascinating Real-Life Nuggets & End Credits

The Little Fascinating Real-Life Nuggets & End Credits

What makes biographical dramas so amazing is the fact that there is a 'real life' factor attached to it. As any average Indian, you might not be entirely aware about basketball like you are about cricket and football - but throughout your lifetime, you must have heard about Michael Jordan being one of the greatest, and for many, THE greatest. This is enough to hook you on and that is also where AIR shines. Knowing about Nike, Jordan, Adidas and all those names, you are in it! 

Thus, when some fascinating nuggets are thrown around in the film, you are left wondering, wowed and enlightened. Be it the story as to how did the iconic slogan 'Just Do It' came into fruition or be it George Raveling talking about having the copy of the 'I have a dream' speech - it is breath-taking. Add to that, the pre end-credits sequence where we see the real faces of the characters in the film and know more about what happened after the deal - you leave the theatre with a smiling face and completely engulfed in the experience.

The Verdict

The Verdict

The biggest triumph for AIR is how the film realises the fact that for a film like this to have a bigger appeal than it generally might do - it accumulates elements in a very smart manner never feeling desperate or forced. Even just a few minutes into the film, you are immediately bolstered by how this is much more than a basketball film, this is much more than a shoe brand taking the biggest risk, and most importantly how this is much more than a film. With scintillating performances by each and every cast member, a neatly taut screenplay, titbits of real-life drama and emotions at its core, AIR is a near-perfect sports drama and one of the best in recent times.

Rating - **** (4/5)

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