Air

In telling the entertaining tale of how Nike signed rookie Michael Jordan to an industry-changing sneaker deal, Ben Affleck leans into the '84 of it all to such a comical degree it actually feels like a period piece parody. Still, that's part of what makes Air so enjoyable. I only wish the film were edited like a movie from 1984. William Goldenberg, who has cut some excellent pictures, and Affleck assemble this feature the way you have to when your movie is populated with amateur actors, not a film with the first-rate ensemble we have here. Why?

Air is nowhere near the caliber of MoneyBall but much more fun than Jerry Maguire. Draft Day is the best comparison. Like that terrific sports movie with no sport in it, Air is about an industry rather than a game, and it can often be more entertaining watching silly guys playing their business than any action on the field or the court. And Air is actually about something. The events depicted in this story not only represented a major shift in sports and advertising but in all of American capitalism and culture.