The Air I Breathe

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.

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")

I just watched The Air I Breathe on one of those "cheesey" cable channels. It showed 2 out of 4 stars but it sounded interesting. I looked it up on here and thank goodness I did. I watched it and I liked it for a multitude of reasons.

I have to say IMHO this is probably the best "serious" ~ non comedic performance I have seen from Brendan Fraser. AlI the way around good acting. Sarah Michelle Gellar's performance is stellar and Kevin Bacon's performance in this movie is terrific.

So thank you to everyone who wrote the good reviews. They steered me in the right direction and I'm glad I watched this movie.

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?