Air is a back room coming-of-age sports drama in the vein of The Big Short and The Social Network. A behind-the-scenes dramatisation of a significant big business turning point, it gathers a collective of oddballs who were instrumental in Nike's eventual signing of basketball star, Michael Jordan. Centred on sales executive and talent scout, Sonny Vaccaro, played by Matt Damon... this film is bolstered by a stellar ensemble in Jason Bateman, Viola Davis, Chris Tucker and Ben Affleck. Having been derailed from the front and back of camera duty by Live by Night, Affleck returns to star in and direct a quieter film with a strong comedic slant. Flanked by longtime friend and co-star in Damon, the lighter take and smaller supporting role in Air ensure the actor turned director's able to give more focus to the storytelling.

This tightknit ensemble orbits around Damon, who compels the quest to win over the Jordan family with available resources and street smarts. Trying to ramp up their market share from a sliver at third place, the already big name running brand looks at some innovative ways to draw favour and lure the superstar into the fray. Air Jordan's global popularity already tells you everything you need to know about what eventually happened, but this spirited biographical drama's appeal is in the lively and entertaining performances.

Beyond this, Air is stuck in the 80s... more specifically the year 1984. While the extreme 80s fashion is abundant, it's used to poke fun at the age with unusual Porsche colours, shoes and hairstyles. Most films try to limit the distraction by offering a toned down reimagining of the age to avoid derailing the character or scene but in Air, it's much more prevalent, adding to the occasion.

One of the film's most overt 80s elements is its soundtrack, creating a oh-so-80s playlist of nostalgic hits. These include: 'Sister Christian' by Night Ranger, 'Money for Nothing' by Dire Straits, 'The Stroke' by Billy Squier, 'Blister in the Sun' by Violent Femmes, 'All I Need is a Miracle' by Mike and the Mechanics, 'Born in the U.S.A.' by Bruce Springsteen, 'Rock the Casbah' by The Clash, 'In a Big Country' by Big Country and 'Time After Time' by Cyndi Lauper.

Ramping into the thick of things with two age-defining tracks, Air leverages its music soundtrack to full effect. It does this to paint audiences into the right frame of mind, take some older viewers back in time through the power of nostalgia and do some heavy lifting without having to rely entirely on mis-en-scene. While Air lives and breathes on this collection of hits, interspersing them throughout the movie to maintain its atmospheric feel good 80s vibration, it does make you wonder just how much filmmakers rely on pop music of this nature.

Bruce Springsteen's 'Born in the U.S.A.' anthem has become a beer-soaked "hell yeah" to complement the star-spangled banner, which even gets a mention in the film as they dissect some of the irony behind the stadium song's lyrics. Using each of these as footholds, it not only entertains audiences with throwback charm, immersing them in "a simpler time" but also siphons the intrinsic value to crosslink Air with the wistful yet epic anchoring quality of these tunes.

It's a tactic that many films use to instill a sense of overarching importance and grandeur, yet it sometimes doesn't seem fair. Adam Sandler uses pop hits extensively across his comedy movies to attach a feel good undercurrent to these mainstream movies. It seems more acceptable for Sandler, who isn't aiming for prestige or Oscar bait but rather going for easy-going entertainment. However, even Sandler has benefitted from the power of nostalgia with one of his best films to date, The Wedding Singer.

While this classic comedy with Drew Barrymore matched its soundtrack's frozen-in-time charm with an appealing love story and many iconic performances, one does wonder just how well it would've carried with lesser known 80s songs. It's no secret just how important a film's soundtrack is when it comes down to the filmmaking process and business, but the cross-pollination of mood and era-defining expediency does seem a bit unfair when filmmakers can stand on the shoulders and blur the far-reaching appeal and legacy of these one hit wonders. No one's complaining and you can tell when a song is serving as a crutch to a film trying to coast on an artist or song's prominence, so perhaps taking Adam Sandler's advice is apt... just roll with it.