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The Air I Breathe

Play trailer Poster for The Air I Breathe R Released Jan 25, 2008 1h 37m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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11% Tomatometer 38 Reviews 61% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
Four stories are linked by a Chinese proverb and overlapping characters. A usually unadventurous man (Forest Whitaker) loses big on a horse race and robs a bank to pay off a gangster (Andy Garcia). The gangster's nephew goes on the town with a hit man (Brendan Fraser) who can see into the future. The hit man falls for a pop star (Sarah Michelle Gellar) whose contract is owned by the gangster. The pop star has a rare blood type sought by a doctor (Kevin Bacon) trying to save the love of his life.
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The Air I Breathe

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Critics Consensus

The Air I Breathe is a jumbled indie production that accomplishes little save for the squandering of a talented cast.

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Critics Reviews

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Catherine Shoard Daily Telegraph (UK) Pretentious at best, risible for the rest of the time, this is most notable for Andy Garcia's staggeringly hammy cameo as the opera-loving moneylender Fingers. May 1, 2020 Full Review Time Out Staff Time Out This pompous, concept-driven debut from American director Jieho Lee is about as hollow and doom-harbouring as an empty coffin. Rated: 1/5 Apr 30, 2020 Full Review Philip French Guardian The Air I Breathe is a poor addition to a cycle of movies in which a succession of people (played by well-known actors) is linked by coincidence or perverse destiny. Apr 30, 2020 Full Review Ray DeRousse What Culture The story has no emotional heft or philosophical investment upon which to base its contortions. Instead, it is a gimmick looking for a purpose. May 1, 2020 Full Review Jamie Russell Radio Times Music-video director-turned-film-maker Jieho Lee imbues his feature debut with plenty of visual verve, yet can't make his stories individually distinctive. Rated: 2/5 Apr 30, 2020 Full Review Allan Hunter Daily Express (UK) Any ensemble piece divided into chapters such as Happiness, Pleasure and Sorrow is already flirting with pretentiousness but Jieho Lee's overblown feature embraces the concept wholeheartedly with clunky dialogue and po-faced solemnity. Rated: 2/5 Apr 30, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Georgan G This intiguing film watches a small cast of characters intermingle. Great actors show their lives overlapping. The mystery of how life evolves for us all, is broached. Made me think about my life & how I got to where I am. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 05/30/24 Full Review tovangar T Fraser, Bacon and Delpy were thrown away by the director, leaving the other three main cast members to chew the scenery in the most unattractive way possible. Garcia was stuck in a permanent hissy fit. Whitaker was a knot of sweating, grimacing anxiety Geller, at her most unsympathetic and wooden, ends up imitating a hood ornament, outlined against the dawn, complete with many yards of flowing fabric. Laughably pretentious. Unbelievable that this was made. Somebody lost their shirt or just needed a tax write off. But I watched it. The things I do for Brendan. He looked good. Pretty darn good. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 06/19/23 Full Review nathaniel b Incredibly underrated film. Thought provoking and moving, though somber. Sarah Michelle Gellar gives one of THE most underappreciated performances in film history. A solid, interesting movie that didn't deserve the bashing it got from critics. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Four stories, representing the emotional principles of love, pleasure, sorrow, and happiness, come together in this episodic drama from first-time director Jieho Lee. A powerful crime boss, Fingers (Andy Garcia), subtly controls the destinies of four people whose circumstances have brought them to a crossroads in their lives. A quiet business executive (Forest Whitaker) is told that an upcoming horse race has been rigged and bets everything he has on his belief that the story is true. A noted pop singer (Sarah Michelle Gellar) discovers her career is hanging in the balance when she's forced to sever ties with her manager. A doctor (Kevin Bacon) must set aside a physician's traditional guidelines when circumstances demand he treat the woman he loves after a serious accident. And a criminal (Brendan Fraser) has a powerful vision of the future, but can't decide if his premonitions are to be trusted. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/21/23 Full Review Audience Member I think people's perspective of the film is a bit myopic. The film is cerebral, and if you're into those kinds of movies, this is outstanding. It simply, for those not willfully hindered by the Gateless Gate, asks one to ponder the meaning of their emotions. I loved it. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/19/23 Full Review richard d A charming yet simple story. It's an anthology piece which focuses on 4 different people. 3 of them in their own way help the 4th person be able to escape the life they are in. The acting is good and the writing is fine. To some it can come off as pretentious but I personally don't think it is. It's different from what I usually enjoy but I surprisingly liked this film. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Air I Breathe

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Movie Info

Synopsis Four stories are linked by a Chinese proverb and overlapping characters. A usually unadventurous man (Forest Whitaker) loses big on a horse race and robs a bank to pay off a gangster (Andy Garcia). The gangster's nephew goes on the town with a hit man (Brendan Fraser) who can see into the future. The hit man falls for a pop star (Sarah Michelle Gellar) whose contract is owned by the gangster. The pop star has a rare blood type sought by a doctor (Kevin Bacon) trying to save the love of his life.
Director
Jieho Lee
Producer
Emilio Diez Barroso, Darlene Caamano Loquet, Paul Schiff
Screenwriter
Jieho Lee, Bob DeRosa
Distributor
ThinkFilm
Production Co
Nala Films, Paul Schiff Productions
Rating
R (Violence|Some Sexual Content/Nudity|Language)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jan 25, 2008, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 10, 2019
Box Office (Gross USA)
$19.5K
Runtime
1h 37m
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