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''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]''{{'s}} [[Richard Roeper]] 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."<ref>{{Cite web|date=April 3, 2023 |last=Roeper|first=Richard|author-link=Richard Roeper|title=‘Air,’ about Nike chasing Michael Jordan, is year’s best film so far|url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/movies-and-tv/2023/4/3/23666943/air-review-michael-jordan-movie-nike-ben-affleck-matt-damon-viola-davis|access-date=April 4, 2023|website=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]}}</ref> Peter Debruge, writing for ''[[Variety (magazine)|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."<ref>{{Cite web |last= Debruge |first= Peter |date=March 18, 2023 |title= ‘Air’ Review: Ben Affleck Turns Nike’s Quest to Sign Michael Jordan Into This Generation’s ‘Jerry Maguire’ |url=https://variety.com/2023/film/reviews/air-review-ben-affleck-michael-jordan-1235558689/ |access-date=April 4, 2023 |website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref>
''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]''{{'s}} [[Richard Roeper]] 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."<ref>{{Cite web|date=April 3, 2023 |last=Roeper|first=Richard|author-link=Richard Roeper|title=‘Air,’ about Nike chasing Michael Jordan, is year’s best film so far|url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/movies-and-tv/2023/4/3/23666943/air-review-michael-jordan-movie-nike-ben-affleck-matt-damon-viola-davis|access-date=April 4, 2023|website=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]}}</ref> Peter Debruge, writing for ''[[Variety (magazine)|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."<ref>{{Cite web |last= Debruge |first= Peter |date=March 18, 2023 |title= ‘Air’ Review: Ben Affleck Turns Nike’s Quest to Sign Michael Jordan Into This Generation’s ‘Jerry Maguire’ |url=https://variety.com/2023/film/reviews/air-review-ben-affleck-michael-jordan-1235558689/ |access-date=April 4, 2023 |website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref>


''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]''{{'}}s 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."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gyarkye |first=Lovia |date=March 18, 2023 |title=‘Air’ Review: Ben Affleck’s Ode to Michael Jordan Is Affectionate and Involving, Even When It Fails to Convince |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/air-review-ben-affleck-matt-damon-viola-davis-1235356044/ |access-date=April 4, 2023 |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] }}</ref>
''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]''{{'}}s 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."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gyarkye |first=Lovia |date=March 18, 2023 |title=‘Air’ Review: Ben Affleck’s Ode to Michael Jordan Is Affectionate and Involving, Even When It Fails to Convince |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/air-review-ben-affleck-matt-damon-viola-davis-1235356044/ |access-date=April 4, 2023 |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] }}</ref>

''[[hollywoodintoto.com]]'' gave the film a positive review calling it "Nothing but Net for Crowd-Pleasing Ode to Capitalism" - Air” isn’t just a populist three-pointer. It’s a loving ode to the American dream, told without an ounce of hand-wringing or guilt. <ref>https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/air-review-capitalism/</ref>


==See also==
==See also==

Revision as of 14:05, 5 April 2023

Air
Theatrical release poster
Directed byBen Affleck
Written byAlex Convery
Starring
CinematographyRobert Richardson
Edited byWilliam Goldenberg
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • March 18, 2023 (2023-03-18) (SXSW)
  • April 5, 2023 (2023-04-05) (United States)
Running time
112 minutes[1]
LandVereinigte Staaten
SpracheEnglisch
Budget$70–90 million[2][3]

Air is a 2023 American biographical sports drama film directed by Ben Affleck and written by Alex Convery. The film stars Matt Damon, Affleck, Jason Bateman, Marlon Wayans, Chris Messina, Chris Tucker, and Viola Davis. It is based on true events about the origin of Air Jordan, a basketball shoeline, of which a Nike employee seeks to strike a business deal with rookie player Michael Jordan.

The film was announced in April 2022, with Affleck set to direct, as well as star and produce alongside Damon through their newly-formed production company Artists Equity. Principal photography took place that summer, with Affleck reuniting with his normal collaborators, cinematographer Robert Richardson and editor William Goldenberg. While Jordan was not involved with production, he did meet with Affleck and offered several suggestions, including casting Davis as his mother. Originally set to premiere on the streaming service Amazon Prime Video,[4] distributor Amazon Studios opted to release the film theatrically first after positive test screenings,[5] making it the first film Amazon Studios has released in theaters without simultaneously premiering on Amazon Prime Video since Late Night (2019).

Air had its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 18, 2023, and was released in the United States on April 5, 2023, by Amazon Studios. The film received critical acclaim, with praise for Affleck's direction, Convery's screenplay, and the performances of the cast.

Plot

In 1984, Oregon-based Nike, Inc. is on the verge of bankruptcy due to low footwear sales. In response to this, chairman Rob Strasser, along with co-founder Phil Knight, hires fellow salesman Sonny Vaccaro to come up with a new pitch for a shoeline based on current American sports.

Cast

Production

The script was written by Alex Convery in 2021, appearing on that year's Black List under the title Air Jordan.[6] 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.[7]

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.[8][9][10] Robert Richardson served as cinematographer, using the Arri Alexa 35 camera to film with.[11] It wrapped up in July 2022.[12] The same month, Joel Gretsch, Gustaf Skarsgård and Jessica Green were announced to be among the cast.[13][14] The character of Michael Jordan, however, is not portrayed in the film.[15]

Although not directly involved with the film, Michael Jordan met with Ben Affleck prior to the start of production and gave the project his blessing. The casting of Viola Davis was his idea.[16][17] Jordan also requested that Howard White, vice president of Nike’s Jordan Brand and his personal friend, be included in the film. This directly led to Affleck casting Chris Tucker, with whom he had long wanted to work.[16]

Release

Air was originally slated for a streaming-only release on Prime Video[18], but Amazon Studios eventually decided to release the film theatrically because of strong results from test screenings.[19]

Air was theatrically released in the United States on April 5, 2023, the first Amazon title given a purely-theatrical release since 2019's Late Night. Warner Bros. Pictures handled the film's international theatrical and worldwide physical home media release. Amazon will also give the film a longer theatrical window before being released onto Prime Video globally than their previous theatrical releases.[20] This decision would also result in Amazon shutting down United Artists Releasing and folding its operations into Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, whom Amazon acquired in 2022.[21] The film closed out the South by Southwest festival on March 18, 2023.[22]

Amazon spent $40 million promoting the film,[3] including $7 million on an ad which aired during Super Bowl LVII.[23]

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 3,507 theaters in its five-day opening weekend.[24][2][3]

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 97% of 109 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.00/10. The website'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."[25] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 79 out of 100, based on 26 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[26]

Chicago Sun-Times's Richard Roeper 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."[27] 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."[28]

The Hollywood Reporter's 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."[29]

hollywoodintoto.com gave the film a positive review calling it "Nothing but Net for Crowd-Pleasing Ode to Capitalism" - Air” isn’t just a populist three-pointer. It’s a loving ode to the American dream, told without an ounce of hand-wringing or guilt. [30]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Air (15)". BBFC. March 30, 2023. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  2. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Pamela (April 4, 2023). "Box Office: 'Super Mario Bros.' to Find Oodles of Easter Eggs, Ben Affleck's 'Air' Joins Hunt". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c McClintock, Pamela (April 4, 2023). "Box Office Preview: 'Super Mario Bros.' Aims for $125 Million, Ben Affleck's 'Air' Targets $16 Million Debut". Variety. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  4. ^ https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/super-mario-bros-movie-box-office-preview-air-1235366624/
  5. ^ https://deadline.com/2023/04/super-mario-bros-air-box-office-opening-ben-affleck-amazon-1235316883/
  6. ^ Hipes, Patrick (December 13, 2021). "The Black List 2021: Daniel Jackson's Cauliflower Tops Heap Of Year's Most-Liked Unproduced Screenplays". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 11, 2022. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
  7. ^ Grobar, Matt (April 19, 2022). "Ben Affleck To Direct Nike Drama For Amazon, Skydance Sports; Will Star Alongside Matt Damon". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 16, 2022. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  8. ^ Grobar, Matt (June 10, 2022). "Jason Bateman, Viola Davis, Chris Tucker, Marlon Wayans, Chris Messina & More Join Ben Affleck's Nike Drama For Prime Video". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 10, 2022. Retrieved June 10, 2022.
  9. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (June 8, 2022). "Matt Damon & Ben Affleck Launching Production Company With RedBird Capital's Gerry Cardinale Funding & Jeff Robinov Circling". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 29, 2022. Retrieved September 29, 2022.
  10. ^ Jackson, Angelique (June 10, 2022). "Jason Bateman, Viola Davis, Chris Tucker and Marlon Wayans Join Ben Affleck, Matt Damon's Nike Movie". Variety. Archived from the original on January 25, 2023. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
  11. ^ Giardina, Carolyn (May 31, 2022). "ARRI Launches New Alexa 35 Motion Picture Camera With First Productions Underway". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 16, 2022. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
  12. ^ Katsilometes, John (July 7, 2022). "Chris Tucker finishes Michael Jordan film in return to Strip". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Archived from the original on October 8, 2022. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  13. ^ Grobar, Matt (July 13, 2022). "Ben Affleck's Nike Drama For Amazon Adds Joel Gretsch & Gustaf Skarsgård". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 13, 2022. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  14. ^ Grobar, Matt (July 18, 2022). "The Outpost Star Jessica Green Joins Ben Affleck's Nike Drama For Amazon; White Men Can't Jump Adds Euphorias Zak Steiner". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 18, 2022. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  15. ^ Juneau, Jen (June 30, 2022). "Ben Affleck and Matt Damon Spotted Together on Set of Their Upcoming Nike Movie". People. Archived from the original on February 2, 2023. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  16. ^ a b McEvoy, Colin (March 21, 2023). "Michael Jordan Had These Two Requests for Ben Affleck's Movie Air". Biography.com. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
  17. ^ Keegan, Rebecca (March 16, 2023). "Ben Affleck on 'Air,' New CEO Gig and Those Memes: "I Am Who I Am"". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
  18. ^ https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/super-mario-bros-movie-box-office-preview-air-1235366624/
  19. ^ https://deadline.com/2023/04/super-mario-bros-air-box-office-opening-ben-affleck-amazon-1235316883/
  20. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 23, 2023). "Amazon Studios Returns To Wide Theatrical With Ben Affleck & Matt Damon Nike Movie 'Air' This Spring". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  21. ^ McClintock, Pamela (March 5, 2023). "Box Office: Michael B. Jordan's 'Creed III' Wins Title With Historic $58.6M Opening". Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 4, 2023. Retrieved March 5, 2023.
  22. ^ Rubin, Rebecca (March 13, 2023). "Ben Affleck and Matt Damon's Nike Film 'Air' to Make Surprise Debut at SXSW (Exclusive)". Variety. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  23. ^ Siegel, Tatiana (February 3, 2023). "Ben Affleck, Matt Damon's Nike Film 'Air' to Get $7 Million Super Bowl Ad From Amazon, Plus Unprecedented Theatrical Release (Exclusive)". Variety. Archived from the original on February 8, 2023. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  24. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony; Tartaglione, Nancy (April 3, 2023). "Let's A-Go: 'Super Mario Bros Movie' Leveling Up To $225M+ Global Bow, Possibly Year's Best So Far – Box Office Preview". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  25. ^ "Air". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved April 5, 2023. Edit this at Wikidata
  26. ^ "Air (2023) Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  27. ^ Roeper, Richard (April 3, 2023). "'Air,' about Nike chasing Michael Jordan, is year's best film so far". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  28. ^ Debruge, Peter (March 18, 2023). "'Air' Review: Ben Affleck Turns Nike's Quest to Sign Michael Jordan Into This Generation's 'Jerry Maguire'". Variety. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  29. ^ Gyarkye, Lovia (March 18, 2023). "'Air' Review: Ben Affleck's Ode to Michael Jordan Is Affectionate and Involving, Even When It Fails to Convince". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  30. ^ https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/air-review-capitalism/
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