The Air I Breathe

An incredible little film that shows just how we are all interconnected and part of the universe. When one's wings flutter, it affects all around us, and in ways that can sometimes be very surprising.

The emotions expressed in the film are all emotions that help us understand how we are interconnected. With the exception of Brandon Fraser and Andy Garcia, all the roles in the film were confined to a particular segment. There were some very good actors in small parts in the film.

Fraser was fantastic in a very unemotional role. His first attempts at showing any emotion cost him his life, just as Forest Whitaker's attempt at happiness cost him his.

I really like Whitaker's musing that happiness comes from playing by the rules and doing well in school. The reward for doing well in school is more school and more school, and then you can get a job and start wanting things. Do any of us every attain happiness? Or, as Whitaker, are we stuck in some dead-end job wanting? Kevin Bacon showed how one risks it all for love and gave a superb performance. I just kept wishing that Sorrow (Sarah Michelle Gellar) was that little girl from his past. I bet she was and they just didn't tell us.

A very pleasurable hour and a half.

The Air I Breathe is stunning in many ways. It should be established right from the start that this is not a movie which allows you to check your brain at the door. It demands attention and thought. Director Jieho Lee and co-writer Bob DeRosa have crafted an intriguing work which leaves more questions than answers. And, after all, that is what art should aspire to do.

The film is based on a Chinese proverb which says that life consists of four emotions: Happiness, Pleasure, Sorrow, and Love. To be whole one must experience each emotion, and by doing so we are interconnected with all other human beings. The film itself is structured in the same fashion, with each of four segments focusing on those ideas. The lead actors portray those emotions one by one. Forest Whitaker is Happiness, Brendan Fraser is Pleasure, Sarah Michelle Gellar is Sorrow, and Kevin Bacon is Love. They anchor the four segments of the film, while the rest of the magnificent ensemble cast weaves in and out of the narrative.

The idea is somewhat fuzzy at first. This is an unconventional story with a similarly unique style. Unlike most films, the major characters don't really have major arcs in story line or performance. While some may find a couple of the actors a bit deadpan, they pretty much are solid throughout while consistent in their characterizations. Whitaker and Fraser especially fit that description. Both are quite stoic in their roles, but that's what the story demands. Sarah Michelle Gellar may be the exception. She is the one who has to display a wide range of emotions, more than the others. Her character is quite tortured and goes through a lot emotionally and physically. Gellar is a very brave actress who took risks and put her heart and soul into it. She is sure to surprise many people. Bacon is a delight and is perfectly cast as a would-be hero. Andy Garcia is a chilling and devilish nemesis throughout, while Emile Hirsch provides some comic relief in his brief appearance.

The script is filled with poetic statements, hearkening back to the Chinese proverb on which the story is based. Each segment's main character provides voice-over. And while the language is somewhat oblique, the dialogue is quite blunt and to the point.

Visually it is breathtaking, with broad sweeping images interspersed with numerous gritty close-ups of tragedy. The Air I Breathe has the look of a big budget film, although it is not. Watch for some fascinating visual effects. Hand-held with close-ups is used for some of the more chilling parts and creates tension. Hitchcock would be proud.

Surprises occur at every step of the way. One of the most startling aspects of this film is that there are moments when one may think, "No, that won't happen." And then it does. It's hard to watch at times and quite violent. There's sadness and tension. But there is also an amazingly clever use of humor in the film, and that is perhaps what is most surprising. But that's what life is. The soundtrack plays a major role in this movie, as if another character. It has an Asian feel, not just because of the filmmaker's background but because the film is based on that Chinese proverb. It was quite haunting.

The Air I Breathe is, at its heart, a character piece which follows a general theme. Seems simple. On the face of it, it plays out like a crime drama. But there's more to it, and it takes patience and thought to get to the point of it. Not everyone will be able to do that. But it is definitely worth the effort.

A clumsy clerk (Forest Whitaker) overhears the conversation of three coworkers in the toilet about a fix in a horse race, and bets a large amount. He loses the bet and owes the money to the dangerous and powerful mobster Fingers (Andy Garcia). A gangster (Brendan Fraser) has the ability of foreseeing the future and works for Fingers; he is assigned to collect money for the boss with his troublemaker nephew Tony (Emile Hirsch) and is beat up by a gang. The manager of the pop-star Trista (Sarah Michelle Gellar) loses her contract to Fingers without her agreement and she is threatened by the gangster. A doctor (Kevin Bacon) seeks a blood donor that might have a rare blood type to save the life of his passion (Julie Delpy).

The weird and overrated "The Air that I Breath" uses four tales – named "Happiness", "Pleasure", "Sorrow", "Love" - that entwines characters and situations around the powerful and omnipresent gangster Fingers. The stories are unpleasant and the power of Finger is exaggerated – how could a famous pop-star be intimidated by a criminal the way Trista is? The attraction of this forgettable movie is the non-linear screenplay that hides a poor and boring story and the great cast. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "O Ar Que Eu Respiro" ("The Air that I Breath")

It's interesting. This film did receive a lot of bad reviews from most film critics. But then again, this film is not intended for the educated and demanding critics.

It's rather intended for the oblivious Generation X who is lost in chaos and holds on to the little bit of hope that is left in a bleak future yet to come.(you know who you are)

The Air I Breath tells a story of amazing yet globally recognizable incidences and displays numerous examples of clairvoyance, Deja-Vu, synchronicity and coincidence from a somewhat Zen/Jungian point of view, although far more pessimistic.

The plot is told from various perspectives that all intervene in one way or the other a la Magnolia/Pulp Fiction/etc. Those who enjoyed flicks like The Butterfly Effect and Donnie Darko will possibly possess the right view and the right questions to enjoy this film.

The film has a comic book/graphic novel taste to it, and those familiar with Neil Gaiman's work should be in for a treat. The photography vaguely reminded me of Sin City although it's not half as good. The major problem lies with the Asian Soap Opera dialog that gets cheesy after a while and easily evokes the narrow mindedness and irritation of the cynical viewers.

This film is more intended for the young, open minded New Serenity movement who seek answers and comfort in life.

I read several bad reviews for this film before actually being able to get my hands on a copy, but remained optimistic about it as I sat down to watch it. Thankfully, some people actually possess the ability to sit down and watch a film with an open mind and then form their own opinion, which is exactly what I did.

What I saw was not a pretentious portrayal of "cheap irony" in which the viewer lives in "Gellar's world". What I saw was a creative endeavour to intertwine four strangers through four major emotions, thus showing that through these emotions, everyone is connected - whether or not they are aware of it. This is what sociologists study and discuss everyday.

The script was performed sensationally, by a stellar cast (Brendan Frasier, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Andy Garcia, Kevin Bacon, Forest Whitaker), encompassing a gritty, fast paced storyline, with melancholic overtones. This film is not all about Gellar - she gives a heart wrenching performance as Trista, but the film is dedicated as much to Garcia, Frasier and Bacon as it is to her. Each performance is worth its weight in gold - Garcia is frightening as mafia boss "Fingers", Frasier pulls at your heart with his resignation to the terrible fates of the people around him and Bacon and Whitaker will surely gain your sympathy with the sheer level of their desperation.

The only thing this film is guilty of is invoking emotion and thought from its viewers - and isn't that the reason to watch it in the first place?