Big Picture Big Sound

It's the season of brands at the movies, because we are getting an onslaught of films that trace the origin of various products. From "Tetris" to "Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game" and next month's "Blackberry," who would have thought these things warranted a movie? The latest - and best - of this new wave,"Air," tells the origins of Michael Jordan's involvement with Nike.

Ben Affleck returns to the director's chair for the first time since 2016's misbegotten gangster flick "Live by Night" with a throwback movie aimed for an adult crowd. Something like "Air" feels like an artifact, and Affleck has been in Hollywood long enough and has the business savvy to know that it's hard for movies like his latest to exist in the marketplace. He was especially dour in interviews about theatrical exhibition after Ridley Scott's "The Last Duel," in which he had a supporting role, didn't perform well. There seems to be an appetite for "Air," which is encouraging to see. It also helps that it's a lot of fun.

Matt Damon stars as Sonny Vaccaro, a marketing executive at Nike, who spends his time scouting basketball players to represent Nike. He has his eye on an up-and-comer named Michael Jordan, but everyone within the company - and some externally - think he's crazy to pursue such a venture, including eccentric CEO Phil Knight (Affleck) and head of marketing Rob Strasser (Jason Bateman). Sonny even has to do occasional battle with Jordan's agent David Falk (Chris Messina) over his intentions to court Jordan.

Obviously, a movie like "Air" doesn't offer anything in terms of surprises. You won't be glued to the edge of your seat wondering what would become of Jordan, who most now consider the greatest basketball player of all time. What's strong about Affleck's picture and the screenplay by Alex Convery is that they don't manufacture any faux-suspense in the hopes of creating cheap movie moments. "Air" is a movie about process and Sonny's pursuit of Nike's partnership with Jordan, which leads to the creation of the Air Jordans.

Damon delivers some of his strongest work in a long time here, and the movie really pops when he meets with Jordan's parents Deloris (Viola Davis, always commanding in subtle ways) and James (Julius Tennon). In these moments, Damon has to convince Jordan's parents that Nike is the right fit, while convincing the audience he isn't just trying to make a buck. His characterization of Sonny shows that he is passionate about what he does and truly believes this partnership is meant to be.

We see Jordan portrayed in boardroom meetings, but "Air" never puts him front-and-center. In fact, we only ever hear the actor standing in as Jordan speak off-camera. When the actor is seen on screen, he's usually shot from the side or behind and the decision to not make him a prominent figure in the movie is understandable. If Jordan becomes a character, then "Air" is a by-the-numbers biopic of the basketball star. On the other hand, it seems a bit uncommitted to just show him, sitting in silence, being offered the deal of a lifetime. It's a tricky balance Affleck has to pull off as the director and it wavers in a few scenes.

"Air" is a movie filled with walking-and-talking speeches and grand monologues that are meant to make you cheer in your seat (which someone did in my screening). In that sense it's effective, and often thrillingly so.