Fleet of Foot Film "AIR" Scores Big with Olympic Nods and Matt Damon/Viola Davis Bank Shots

Cinephiles and sports fans of all shoe sizes may revel that "AIR" -- the new Nike-centric feature directed by Ben Affleck -- scores with almost nothing but net on the big screen. 

The fast-paced crowd pleaser centers on a few autumn '84 days when the global sports equipment brand courted then-recent Olympic gold medalist Michael Jordan as the era's B-ball shoe stalwarts Converse and Adidas also pursued the rising star. 

Much like the basketball legend approaching his rookie NBA season, screenwriting newcomer Alex Convery weaves great storytelling with compelling dialogue peppered with light-hearted moments and inspiring monologues. 

The clear scene stealer is Viola Davis as Jordan's mother, one of several dealmakers including Nike's Michael Knight (Affleck), marketer (Jason Bateman), VP of athlete relations (Chris Tucker) and salesman Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon) who ultimately must convince the Jordan family of the potential to write history for professional athletes, sports apparel and other industries touched by the world's all-time greatest basketball player.

Several moments of Davis' performance brought to mind her Oscar-nominated role holding her own with Meryl Streep in "Doubt," this time matching wits with Damon while they both circumvent a seasoned and, at times, slippery sports agent David Falk (Chris Messina). 

Damon's Vaccaro channels some of his best elements from "The Informant!" with a more ample, chuckle-inducing spare tire. Affleck as a bearded Knight (like "Argo") and Tucker (a la "Silver Linings Playbook") also shine, as does Marlon Wayans as LA84's golden Team USA Assistant Coach George Raveling. 

Affleck & Co. included a few five-ringed Easter eggs throughout the film, including an authentic looking Olympic gold medal and cauldron mosaic as set pieces of Adidas' German HQ. The film's climax also pops with archival Dream Team footage of Jordan on Barcelona's courts. 

The shoe lab scenes, which tee up the original design and naming of Air Jordans while introducing shoe designer Peter Moore (Matthew Maher) also resonate, and discovering a cameo by a personal favorite actress, Barbara Sukowa, this time as an heiress to the Adidas brand (reminiscent of her role in "Europa" a.k.a. "Zentropa"), also proved fun, especially when juxtaposed with cool cucumber Davis across the boardroom table. 

One fact-checked Achilles' heel, however, is the assortment of timing issues that play in the ample (and excellent) soundtrack, hand-picked by Affleck, according to published reports. 

I lost count of songs -- starting with "Money for Nothing" during the opening credits -- that are hits that only existed months after the October 1984 story (DUH! Dire Straits' first smash landed in June 1985, and Mike + The Mechanics' "All I Need Is A Miracle" arrived, for better or worse, as a 1986 single). According to one report, I'm not alone in wondering why the Olympic year's hitmakers Madonna, Prince and the other M.J. went missing (at least Van Halen's omission was explained). 

These errors are forgivable, however, given the wealth of other strong selections including The Alan Parsons Project, Big Country, Bruce Springsteen, The Clash, Tangerine Dream and Cyndi Lauper, though I questioned the choice of her "Time After Time" over "Money Changes Everything" given the portrayed financial stakes for all of the film's main characters. 

The other, less-forgivable error is the preposterous scene in which Vacarro calls Knight from a rental car phone in rural North Carolina. Yes, car phones existed in 1984, but from this blogger's perspective, it is doubtful that Avis, Hertz or any other rental company offered such expensive equipment in their fleets of any year in that decade (or ever). 

But these minor flaws are easy to overlook. What's apparent in "AIR" is that Affleck, Damon and the team had fun while fine-tuning their craft. Alley-oops abound, and just like Mike, this story makes us want to fly. 

Photos via Amazon Studios and Ana Carballosa/Prime