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Ben Affleck’s newest movie about hoop desires, “Air,” acquired a fantastic reception Saturday at South by Southwest.
First reactions have been glowing for the movie, which chronicles how then-rookie Michael Jordan partnered with Nike on his revolutionary Air Jordan shoe line. Affleck directs, produces, and stars as Nike CEO Phil Knight.
,It was the most enjoyable professional experience,” Affleck instructed the Austin American-Statesman, a part of the USA TODAY community, on the crimson carpet forward of the movie’s unveiling on the Austin pageant’s closing night time. “There’s some magic, and maybe it’s Michael Jordan, you know. My whole life, I thought, as a director, if I could have Viola Davis in my movie, I’d really make it.
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Ben Affleck, Matt Damon reunite on SXSW red carpet
The SXSW premiere reunited Affleck with his friend (and “Good Will Hunting” co-star and co-writer) Matt Damon, who stars as Nike executive Sonny Vaccaro, who gives Air Jordans a shot. persuades the knight to give in. They were joined on the red carpet by Davis and her husband Julius Tennon (who plays Jordan’s parents Deloris and James Jordan) and Jason Bateman, Chris Trucker and Chris Messina.
Davis said of Deloris Jordan, “She was a generation where your children are your dreams.” For years in the black community, “people weren’t allowed to dream because we weren’t given any opportunities. And so this was a woman who believed in education, but she also believed in taking advantage of the opportunity that her son had to play with the NBA and get the most out of this extraordinary human being.
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Here’s what critics are saying about Ben Affleck’s new Michael Jordan movie ‘Air’:
The response was overwhelmingly positive, both socially and in film reviews:
“Entertaining, hilarious, hopeful and best movie of the year so fartweeted the Hollywood handle.
“The film applies – surprisingly – The poetic reverence usually reserved for depicting sport For the process of designing a shoe in these types of plays,” arts and culture critic Lovia Gyerke wrote in her “The Hollywood Reporter” review. “Not a slam dunk, but scores enough points.”
Variety critic Peter Debruge praised the film’s casting of Davis: “The smartest thing Affleck could have done, because an EGOT winner is to acting what Jordan is to sports: Her strength inspires, and she can move us to tears making it look easy” he wrote in his review.
Affleck and Damon’s chemistry is as lively as ever. Viola is simply great. Ben is shaping up to be a phenomenal directorReel Movie Junkie tweeted.
SXSW programmer Peter Hall tweeted, “AIR’s script is great.” ,Remarkable to see the star cast sing every exchangeAnd Affleck’s impeccable direction ensures that not a single moment or role is lost or understated.
“A effervescent, feel-good crowd-pleaser About risk, trust, confidence and family!” Movie critic Scott Mantz tweeted MovieMantz.com,
‘Air’ hits theaters April 5 and premieres on Amazon Prime Video at a later date.
Q&A: Ben Affleck talks new movie on Michael Jordan’s pursuit of Nike, reuniting with Matt Damon
