Good movies can be made about just about anything.  Shoes, for instance.  A pro athlete who has yet to play a game.  Executives at a company with financial concerns and low confidence.  Jerky agents.  All of these elements are present in Air, a movie which presents recent history from a perspective few people have ever considered.  And that is how good movies are made — find an intriguing subject and determine an interesting approach to it, then let things play out.  Good music helps too.

Ben Affleck’s film follows Nike shoe executive Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon), trying to make the company’s basketball division profitable.  Sonny’s inspiration is to spend his entire budget to create and market a custom shoe for rookie Michael Jordan, just drafted by the Chicago Bulls and considering offers from Adidas and Converse — but not Nike.  Sonny eventually persuades his bosses to go along with his plan, and persuades Michael’s mother Deloris (Viola Davis) to take his company seriously.  Thus, the “Air Jordan” is born.

Being from Chicago I have great affection for Michael Jordan and his legacy, but I never cared a whit about the shoes.  Or shoe companies, or jerky agents.  But put ’em all together, with an underdog business story brimming with terrific characters and exacting detail, and a good movie is the result.  Maybe a near great one.  If I cared more about the shoes I might really think this is exceptional stuff.  But even if it isn’t important (to me, at least), this is darned entertaining, from the crisp dialogue to the time capsule music and montages.  This one will take you back, and it’s a nice, rewarding trip.  ☆ ☆ ☆.  20 April 2023.