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The Air I Breathe (2008) Certificate 15

The Air I Breathe
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Rated 3.0 stars
Average rating
(59%)
 
Starring: Kevin Bacon | Sarah Michelle Gellar | Brendan Fraser | Andy Garcia | Forest Whitaker | Diego Luna | Ken Watanabe
Director: Jieho Lee
Studio: Pathe
Run time: 97 mins
Genres: Drama | Romance | Thriller
Languages: English
Released: September 15, 2008

Four short fables in which characters collide with fate--and each other--comprise "The Air I Breathe," an ambitious and absorbing drama from debuting director/writer Jieho Lee. Boasting a brilliant ensemble cast, the film is inspired by a Chinese proverb that breaks life down into four key emotions--Happiness, Sorrow, Pleasure, and Love--and each vignette is built around a character who embodies one of these key emotions.

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Highest rated reviews

28 out of 28 people found the following review helpful:

Rated 4.0 stars
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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9 out of 11 people found the following review helpful:

Rated 4.0 stars
Realistic and severe drama

Whipster from , 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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8 out of 8 people found the following review helpful:

Rated 5.0 stars
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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6 out of 6 people found the following review helpful:

Rated 4.0 stars
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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Most recent reviews

Rated 5.0 stars
What goes around, comes back around..

NavigatorNic from , 10th March, 2010

This is a really great film - you'll love it if you are interested in fate. How every decision you make has an impact on the people around you, and we never really know how the things we do might come back upon us. The performances all round are good. Yes Andy Garcia plays a role he has before, but Brendan Fraser is subtly good, Forest Whittaker is a brilliant opener, Kevin Bacon puts in a heartfelt turn and surprisingly Sarah Michelle Gellar stretches her acting chops further than the emotional confines of Buffy. My favourite turn though came from scene stealer Emile Hirsch. All together it's a nice little film.

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Rated 1.0 stars
Rubbish

A Customer from Lytham St Annes, 9th March, 2010

Nothing to say - not even worth one star

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Rated 0.0 stars
The Air I Breathe

der55101 from from Hamilton, 6th December, 2009

One of the worst films I've ever seen.

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Rated 4.0 stars
Loved it!

A Customer from Malvern, 23rd October, 2009

It's a strange movie, but brilliant performances from all the cast and well worth a watch I agree with the Belfast reviewer it's not long enough. I couldn't drag myself from it and liked it so much I'm going to buy it. Most of the cast are playing against type it's nice to see Brendan Fraser and Sarah Michele Geller in these rolls and although Andy Garcia is playing a roll he's played several times before he plays it brilliantly and did make me feel quite uncomfortable. This film is well worth a watch, enjoy it for the emotion and the memorable performances.

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