The Air I Breathe (2008)

32 out of 32 people found the following review helpful:

A very well told story about human emotions!

crockery from from Belfast, 29th June, 2008

First of all, this film did have problems. There were a lot of flaws, and some of the coincidences seemed stupid and irrelevant, but it does not fail to show emotion. The emotions are all scattered. Not just one person can have one, and I think that is the point of the film. My first time seeing it, i thought it was just a GOOD film. After seeing it over three times, i can really say it is a very great film. The Acting is phenomenal, and Sarah Michelle Gellar gives her best performance to date. She really shows what she is capable of. She portrays the right signs of Sorrow. Andy Garcia was also great. The direction, from a first time director, was really amazing. The were a lot of beautiful scenes, great cinematography. It is a pleasure to watch. Some of the songs played, are kinda cheesy, but those songs go away fast. BUT the score is truly amazing. It totally captures the right feel that the film portrayed. The film should have been longer. It was only 90 minutes, it was very fast paced. They should have shown more screen time with Gellar and Bacon. The rushed feeling has a positive side to it. The film never gets boring. It grabs you completely(and for some people, that is what they want). Yes, the biggest problem is the screenplay, which at times seems silly, some of the dialogue, but the film also has powerful moments and some GREAT dialogue(sort of like the 2004 film Crash). Overall, I have fallen in love with it. It is very underrated, and some of the negative feedback it has received is not worth it. See it, expect flaws, but see it expecting something big, something about human complexity, and you will not be disappointed

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10 out of 10 people found the following review helpful:

recommend

CheekyBum from , 16th July, 2008

5 stars to the director. 5 stars to Fraiser, Whittaker and Garcia. Amazingly connected 3 different stories. Very interesting.

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10 out of 12 people found the following review helpful:

Realistic and severe drama

Whipster from from Shropshire, 20th May, 2008

Brendan Fraser, Forest Whitaker and Andy Garcia take the honours in this snapshot involving four inter-twined tales. Kevin Bacon and SM Geller are also very convincing so basically the casting is spot on. The narratives blend seamlessly and include several nicely executed surprises, though none of them are nice! Andy Garcia plays perfectly in type as nasty gangster boss 'Fingers'. Variously the others, in one way or another, fall foul of his ruthlessness. Its intriguing and will keep you hooked from start to finish, well it did me. The violence when it arrives is harsh and realistic so don't expect any cuddly outcomes. Excellent - go see.

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6 out of 6 people found the following review helpful:

FLAWED BUT WORTH IT

Themanintherock from , 17th September, 2008

The flaw? It's not long enough. You usually get build up to an emotional set piece in a film - and it's needed, to support what you see - but this film is one such scene after another, beating you in submission with its pace. It's also uneven; the first and last story are not as satisfying as the middle two. Is it worth it? Yes. You won't see a better acted film this year. In particular, it puts to bed the idea that Sarah Michelle Gellar is a soap actress; she shows she's learnt that, in films, more is less. It will take a better film for her to be considered for awards, but at least I can imagine it now. So, get past the shorthand method it's been created with, and you have a little gem.

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short but sweet

A Customer from London, 27th August, 2010

All stories touched on the darkside of human emotions and actions. I wanted to know more about some characters and felt cheated that the emphasis of this film was based on making the stories link.

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0 out of 1 people found the following review helpful:

Stick with Crash

VFF from , 26th July, 2010

This film has a whole heap of great actors. I really like Forrest Whittaker and Kevin Bacon. Sarah Michelle Gellar, Brendan Fraser and Andy Garcia are usually good value. The director contrives to draw low level performances. The film is trying very hard but but fails to say anything coherent apart from the fact that life in America is a bit grim. That was also a message of Crash, but that film had some really strong themes, was excellently written and had some interesting things to say about the good intentions we start out with and how we respond to each other in the city, with the assumptions we hold about others. In this film, there are some nice shots and the soundtrack is good but the lighting is way too dark, reflecting the miserable nature of the film. Be warned this is not a cheery movie. I don't advise you to watch this if you have just lost your job. The events that connects all the characters in this film are completely random. The end of the movie attempts to draw things together but by then it is far too late as the film has left you feeling as flat as a pancake. In terms of score, this film is about 2.75. I will give it 2.5 for what it does to Forrest Whittaker, the misery, pretending to be deeper than it is and the lazy plotting. I would advise you to rent Crash and watch that instead. You will then keep the happy memory of all the good films that these actors have starred in intact.

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1 out of 2 people found the following review helpful:

what a load of time wasting crap

A Customer from London, 11th July, 2010

what the hell was thi one about i could no fathom it started off well forest w getting shot by cops than it was just junk that made no sense a waste of rental do n0t bother

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Fate and Emotion

studleydave from , 29th June, 2010

A well constructed tale in which fate plays the lead role. In places, it feels akin to Crash, though there aren't as many lives intertwined in this movie. What I liked about this film were the emotions played out by characters who know little of each other, yet all play a key part in helping each other on their journeys. An interesting concept, in which the emotions and those encapsulating the emotions, interlink in a way that could happen to anyone. It's a strange idea, that we all impact on each other in similar ways, yet may never actually be aware. An enjoyable film, with a good cast, showing glowing potential for Jieho Lee's future films.

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