Photo © Warner Bros. Entertainment
Ben Affleck in 'Air'
Ben Affleck in 'Air'
Air
(In Theaters April 5)
It’s tough to believe that in 1984, Nike was struggling to market its footwear as more than a “running shoe.” Director Ben Affleck also stars as Nike CEO Phil Knight, uncertain how to combat the company’s flatlining sales. The unlikely savior is Sonny Vaccaro, Nike’s Basketball guru. With its basketball division on the verge of being shut down, Sonny was known for his love of gambling in Vegas. Played by Matt Damon, middle-aged, pudgy Sonny musters his last bit of credibility to persuade Knight (and other company bigwigs), that the key to Nike’s success will be persuading newcomer Michael Jordan to let Nike design the player’s signature shoe. Having barely gotten Nike on board, Sonny must now onboard Jordan’s mom-ager Deloris (Viola Davis), a tough customer.
The characters’ sometimes absurd, sometimes poignant interactions, juggle dramatic and comic perspectives. Interestingly, Jordan’s character has no lines, and is seen only from the back or with his face turned away. Otherwise, the film’s locations evoke a lived-in feel, bolstered by a cast that includes Jason Bateman, Chris Messina, Chris Tucker and Marlon Wayans. (Lisa Miller)
Northern Shade
(BayView Entertainment Blu-ray)
Justin (Jesse Gavin) has been home for several years after his deployment in Afghanistan. He lives on his boat, sustained by odd jobs, and is troubled by unhappy memories of duty in a place where anyone could be Taliban. He talks to the shadowy figure of his dead buddy. When a private investigator contacts him about his missing, long-estranged brother, he sets out into the rural hinterlands where he discovers a forested compound, headquarters of a right-wing militia. Jason believes his brother has signed up.
The feature debut by director Christopher Rucinski is an engrossing, suspenseful snapshot of America circa 2022. Restaurants have reopened but most people wear masks most of the time. Justin strolls past Black Lives Matter graffiti in the city, and in the country, fanatics are gathering, led by a fellow veteran who found “living as a civilian nearly impossible” after his deployment. He offers his dozen heavily armed men “purpose” and warns of dark conspiracies in Washington. Northern Shade won awards at several film festivals. (David Luhrssen)
Paint
(In Theaters April 7)
From the mid-’80s through the mid-’90s, Bob Ross taught viewers how to paint landscapes on his made for Public TV show “The Joy of Painting.” Ross was known for his permed afro, his calm voice and his frequent use of “happy trees.” This film, from a script written and directed by Brit McAdams, uses Ross as inspiration for its fictional television painting instructor, Carl Nargle. Stephen Root and Wendi McLendon-Covey appear in supporting roles while Nargle is portrayed by Owen Wilson. The artist retains Ross’s afro, but this screenplay imagines that a hipper, more talented artist steals both Nargle’s wife and his coveted show. Though Ross is a much beloved historic figure, the fun is to imagine his reaction had his seemingly Zen-like universe been rudely upended. (Lisa Miller)
Up, Down, Fragile
(Cohen Film Collection Blu-ray)
Ninon is uncompromising with her criminal boyfriend, demanding (and winning) her share of the take before dancing at the rock club. Louise is pretty in pink and fragile, just released after years in a coma. Ida is a librarian searching for her past. Their separate lives gradually overlap in this 1995 film by French new wave pioneer Jacques Rivette—and when they finally start singing, it turns into a musical, perhaps a subtle parody of Hollywood conventions. (David Luhrssen)
