The Air I Breathe [Blu-ray]
In this powerful film, four very different people on the edge of desperation are unexpectedly linked by their destinies. A top-notch cast featuring Forest Whitaker, Andy Garcia, Kevin Bacon, Brendan Fraser, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Emile Hirsch unforgettably brings to life the stories of a clairvoyant gangster, a rising pop star, an unlikely bank robber and a doctor desperate to save the love of his life. Filled with surprising twists and turns, this suspenseful, action-filled drama employs both brutal violence and aching poetry in a moving exploration of the search for happiness in a gritty urban world.Every so often a crime drama with delusions of existential grandeur comes ambling down the pike. Sometimes, as in Tom Tykwer’s Run Lola Run, a philosophically-inclined filmmaker strikes cinematic gold. If video director Jieho Lee’s erratic debut falls short of that estimable mark, he can’t be faulted for lack of ambition. Set in an anonymous urban metropolis and divided into the four pillars of life–happiness, pleasure, sorrow, and love–The Air I Breathe means to illustrate Henry Ward Beecher’s opening epigram: “No emotion, anymore than a wave, can long retain its own individual form.” A mild-mannered stockbroker representing happiness (The Last King of Scotland’s Forest Whitaker) kickstarts this disquisition into destiny when he decides to take a risk (all four principals are unnamed). Inspired by a coolly confident client who stands for pleasure (Brendan Fraser), he places an unwieldy bet on a fixed race, attracting the attention of sadistic loan shark Fingers (Andy Garcia, doing his best Al Pacino impression). Fraser’s character reports to the latter, who manages sorrowful pop star “Trista” (Sarah Michelle Gellar, last seen in the equally strange Southland Tales). The psychic henchman also looks after his employer’s motormouth nephew, Tony (an uncharacteristically unconvincing Emile Hirsch). The lovelorn doctor (Kevin Bacon) who treats the hitman after an injury turns to Trista when his best friend’s wife (Julie Delpy) falls ill. Whew. Inconsistent acting and clunky dialogue aside, The Air I Breathe infuses conventional genre thrills with introspection to intermittently engaging effect. –Kathleen C. Fennessy
User Ratings and Reviews
4 Stars Disturbing
I’ve seen reviews of people who do not like this movie. I can understand them. But I liked the ” bizzare ” aspect of it and the way it was filmed. The circumvolution of the scenario. For people who don’t need cars that explode and couples who fall in love to the excess and too much passion, it’s a good movie you should enjoy. Casting is quite exceptional too.
5 Stars Why isn’t everybody raving about this movie?
What a fantastic film that puts together four forms of human condition: Happiness, Pleasure, Love and Sorrow in a form of four main characters that mysteriously have their lives intersect with each other in the most unsual ways.
The cast of this film is great - I cannot pick a single actor over the other because the entire cast gives their best performaces they can. Retelling the story will not give this movie justice. Also, giving this movie 5 stars does not do it justice because it requires twice as many. That is how good this movie really is. This film is a keeper for anyone’s personal DVD film library.
5 Stars Simply Great Movie Making
This film unravels in a Tarantinoesque way and gives you a visceral look into the lives of the characters it follows. Unrelenting and unapologetically the story unfolds in chapter like segments with outstanding acting by all the cast, yes all of the cast…even Michelle Geller. This happens to be one of the best performances I have ever seen Branden Fraser turn in and Forrest Whitaker is on point as always as a gambler down on his luck. Though Emil Hersh has a minor role…he is one of the most memorable characters. Words alone can not describe the clever, inventive and ultimately moving piece of art this film is.
5 Stars The best ever
I must say that this is the best movie I’ve ever seen so far. It’s great in so many ways and I always that I recomended to someone the answer is always “it’s a great movie”. What else can I say? 
5 Stars Air I breathe blu-ray
Great movie about fate and occurances. Good picture quality and sound. Very recommend for those who like dramas dealing with life.
Filed under: Blue Ray Movie Reviews