Air

In cinemas from April 5th

Behind every great brand is often a compelling story, and Ben Affleck’s Air proves that the iconic Air Jordan shoe-line is no exception to that rule. The film, written by Alex Convery, details how Sonny Vaccaro, a determined sports marketing executive, managed to convince Jordan to sign with Nike rather than their then more popular competitors Adidas and Converse.

To do that, both Vaccaro and Nike co-founder Phil Knight had to cook up one of the most ground-breaking endorsement deals in sports history, thanks in no small part to some gentle persuasion from Jordan’s mother Deloris. As someone who has worked in the marketing industry, I couldn’t help but be intrigued to learn about the inner workings of such a globally renown brand, as well as the maverick leadership that makes a billion-dollar business tick.

Nonetheless, Air is an undeniably functional film that takes very little risks with its subject matter, mostly opting to lean into the sort of feel-good Eighties nostalgia that is always well received by audiences. Matt Damon is typically dependable in the lead role and is aided by a solid supporting cast that includes Affleck, Chris Tucker, Jason Bateman, and the ever-excellent Viola Davis.

Michael Jordan’s absence from the film is a peculiarity that doesn’t entirely make sense, but the basketball legend is known to at least have given Convery’s screenplay his seal of approval, meaning that Air is if nothing else a pretty faithful retelling of the Air Jordan story.