Air (2023 film)

Air is a 2023 American biographical drama film directed by Ben Affleck and written by Alex Convery. The film stars Matt Damon and Affleck alongside Jason Bateman, Chris Messina, Marlon Wayans, Chris Tucker, and Viola Davis. 
Air was theatrically released in the United States on April 5, 2023, by Amazon Studios. The movie premiered at South by Southwest on March 18, 2023, and was met with critical acclaim.
==Premise==
Sonny Vaccaro, a shoe salesman at Nike, works to sign rookie Michael Jordan to a deal to wear their shoes.
==Cast==
*Matt Damon as Sonny Vaccaro
*Ben Affleck as Phil Knight
*Jason Bateman as Rob Strasser
*Chris Messina as David Falk
*Marlon Wayans as George Raveling
*Chris Tucker as Howard White
*Viola Davis as Deloris Jordan
*Matthew Maher as Peter Moore
*Tom Papa as Stu Inman
*Julius Tennon as James R. Jordan Sr.
*Joel Gretsch as John O’Neil
*Gustaf Skarsgård as Horst Dassler
*Barbara Sukowa as Kathy Dassler
*Jessica Green as Katrina Sainz
*Dan Bucatinsky as Richard
==Production==
The script was written by Alex Convery in 2021, appearing on that year's Black List under the title Air Jordan. It was reported in April 2022 that the script was picked up at Amazon Studios, with Ben Affleck and Matt Damon teaming to star in the film, while Affleck would direct.
Filming began in Los Angeles on June 6, 2022, with Jason Bateman, Viola Davis, Chris Tucker, Marlon Wayans and Chris Messina amongst several additions to the cast. Robert Richardson served as cinematographer, using the Arri Alexa 35 camera to film with. It wrapped up in July 2022. The same month, Joel Gretsch, Gustaf Skarsgård and Jessica Green were announced to be among the cast. The character of Michael Jordan, however, is not portrayed in the film.
== Release==
Air had a wide theatrical release in the United States on April 5, 2023, the first Amazon has given since 2019's Late Night. Warner Bros. Pictures handled the film's international theatrical release, through its distribution deal with the Amazon-owned Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Amazon will also give the film a longer theatrical window before hitting Prime Video globally than their previous limited theatrical releases. 
Amazon spent $7 million on an ad to air during the Super Bowl LVII.
==Reception==
=== Box office ===
In the United States and Canada, Air will be released alongside The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and is projected to gross $16–18 million from 3,500 theaters in its five-day opening weekend.
=== Critical response ===
Rotten Tomatoes reports a 95% approval rating out of 78 reviews from critics, with an 8/10 average rating. The site's consensus reads "A fact-based drama that no one will dunk on, Air aims to dramatize events that changed the sports world forever -- and hits almost nothing but net." Metacritic assigns the film a score of 78 out of 100 based on 45 reviews, reporting "Generally favorable reviews".
Richard Roeper of Chicago Sun-Times gave the film four out of four stars, writing "Thanks to Affleck's sure-handed, period-piece-perfect direction, a crackling good screenplay by Alex Convery and the lively, funny, warm, passionate performances from the A-list cast, Air is as entertaining and fast-paced as an NBA Finals game that is destined for overtime." Peter Debruge, writing for Variety, gave the film a positive review and praised the performances, saying: "Air ought to be taken as the ultimate example of the American dream, a funny, touching Cinderella story about how the third-place sneaker brand wished upon a star, and how that man — and his mother — were smart enough to know their value." The Hollywood Reporters Lovia Gyarkye also gave the film a positive review, calling it "For most audiences, Air will be worth seeing just for the starry cast — particularly the reunion between Damon and Affleck. Their scenes possess a kinetic and intimate dynamism that the rest of the film approaches but doesn't always match."
=== Audience response ===
Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film an A.
==Trivia==
*Ben Affleck's first film that isn't a crime thriller (as director).
*Viola Davis and Julius Tennon, who play Michael Jordan's parents, are married in real life.
==Videos==
AIR - Official Trailer
==References==
==External links==
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Category:2023 drama films
Category:2020s American films
Category:2020s biographical drama films
Category:2020s English-language films
Category:American biographical drama films
Category:Amazon Studios films
Category:Films directed by Ben Affleck
Category:Films produced by Ben Affleck
Category:Films produced by Matt Damon
Category:Films produced by Peter Guber
Category:Films starring Matt Damon
Category:Films starring Ben Affleck
Category:Films starring Jason Bateman
Category:Films starring Chris Tucker
Category:Films starring Viola Davis
Category:Films shot in Los Angeles
Category:Mandalay Pictures films
Category:Michael Jordan
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Category:2023 films
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