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In addition to their enduring friendship, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon have developed a professional rapport that has birthed several intriguing collaborations. Together, they wrote the screenplay for and appeared in the movieGood Will Hunting(1997), which catapulted them to notoriety in Hollywood. This outstanding partnership facilitated their first Oscar win for Best Original Screenplay.
The two kept working together on numerous subsequent projects, the majority of which were met with enthusiastic acclaim.
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With a partnership like theirs—where they have always enjoyed a balanced dynamic—matters became slightly complicated for Affleck when he had to direct his long-time collaborator and friend for the movieAir(2023). Terrified of the expectations that theOppenheimeralum would harbor, given his reputation of working with big-time hot-shot directors, Affleck wondered if he could match up to it.
Ben Affleck Was Afraid Of Not Meeting Matt Damon’s Expectations
The biographical sports dramaAir(2023), directed byBen Affleck, features Matt Damon in a leading role. The movie, penned by Alex Convery, is based on real-life events surrounding the beginnings of the iconic Air Jordan, a line of basketball shoes. Damon plays the role ofSonny Vaccaro. Affleck also co-stars as Phil Knight, co-founder of Nike, Inc.
Besides acting in the endeavor, theJustice Leaguealum presumed the primary role of the helmer. Directing his long-time friend, with whom he had only ever co-acted and co-written projects, initially seemed daunting for Affleck.
Read more:Ben Affleck Doesn’t Regret $100M Box-Office Bomb With Best Friend Matt Damon
DuringVariety‘sDirectors on Directors, in conversation withMichael B. Jordan, the 51-year-old actor-director revealed his thoughts on the newfound workplace dynamic he established with Matt Damon.
“During the course of our friendship, we had written together, we had acted together— that’s very, very comfortable and easy. I realized that I’ve [directed] these movies, and he [Matt Damon] hasn’t seen that part of me.”
It dawned on Affleck that his long-term collaborator wasn’t familiar with his style of direction. The Batman actor was immediately concerned whether he could align himself with Damon’s expectations. After all, the latter enjoys a reputation for working with household names such asSteven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, the Coen brothers, etc.
Matt Damon Ultimately Trusted Ben Affleck As A Director
Ben Affleck was aware thatMatt Damonmight compare his abilities as a director to the experiences the latter has enjoyed under renowned filmmakers who have redefined cinema in many ways.“So, now in his mind, he’s going to … be holding me up against these other experiences,”affirmed theGone Girlalum.
However, theDeep Waterstar would later learn that his apprehension had been for nothing. After a few days, his close companion and collaborator developed enormous faith in Affleck’s competence as a filmmaker. TheAirdirector would be informed of this by the cinematographer of the endeavor, Robert Richardson:
“I remember the cinematographer, Bob Richardson, came over to me after the third or fourth day. He was like, “I think Matt trusts you now.” I was like, “I think so too.” I felt a professional kind of respect there that actually meant a lot to me.”
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ThroughoutAir, this director-actor’s trust is undoubtedly reflected on screen. Post-release, the film was welcomed with a favorable reception. Critics rejoiced at the Damon-Affleck reunion, emphasizing that their scenes underscore a degree of dynamism that separates itself from the rest of the narrative and shines in its own right.
Air(2023) enjoys a 93% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and is available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Debdipta Bhattacharya
Articles Published :659
Debdipta Bhattacharya is a content writer at FandomWire, where she has written more than 500 articles on various topics of interest. She possesses a sincere passion for popular culture, anime, film production, and the evolving world of YouTube and streaming culture which has allowed her to be a devoted and well-informed writer. Debdipta holds a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication. She has honed her skills and expertise in content writing with over two years of experience and strives to learn and grow daily.
