The Air I Breathe (2007)

Director:

Jieho Lee

Writers (WGA):

Jieho Lee (written by) &
Bob DeRosa (written by)

Release Date:

13 December 2007 (Greece)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

Sometimes the things we can't change...end up changing us.

Plot:

A drama based on an ancient Chinese proverb that breaks life down into four emotional cornerstones: happiness, pleasure, sorrow and love. A businessman bets his life on a horse race; a gangster sees the future; a pop star falls prey to a crime boss; a doctor must save the love of his life.

Plot Keywords:

Gangster | Doctor | Pop Star | Horse | Horse Race

Cast

Kevin Bacon	...	Love
Julie Delpy	...	Gina
Brendan Fraser	...	Pleasure
Andy Garcia	...	Fingers
Sarah Michelle Gellar	...	Sorrow
Clark Gregg	...	Henry
Emile Hirsch	...	Tony
Forest Whitaker	...	Happiness
Kelly Hu	...	Jiyoung
Evan Parke	...	Danny
Taylor Nichols	...	Sorrow's Father
Victor Rivers	...	Eddie
Cecilia Suárez	...	Allison
Todd Stashwick	...	Frank
Jon Bernthal	...	Interviewer

Also Known As:

Fragmentos del destino (Mexico)
Воздух, которым я дышу (Russia) [ru]
Akraies katastaseis (Greece) [el]
Cuatro vidas (Spain) [es]
Cuatro vidas y un destino (Armenia) (literal title) [hy]
Cuatro vidas y un destino (Argentina) [es]
Ligados Pelo Crime (Brazil) [pt]
O Ar Que Respiramos (Portugal) [pt]
The Air i breathe - Die Macht des Schicksals (Germany) (DVD title) [de]

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, language and some sexual content/nudity.

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

Mexico | USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Ireland:16 | USA:R | South Korea:18 | Philippines:R-13 (MTRCB) | Finland:K-15 | UK:15 | Australia:MA | Netherlands:16 | Singapore:M18 | Argentina:16

Filming Locations:

Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico

Company:

NALA Films

Trivia:

It took Jieho Lee and Bob DeRosa six years to complete this film.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Happiness is fleeing on a motor scooter, the street pavement repeatedly alternates between wet and dry.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Happiness: I always wondered, when a butterfly leaves the safety of its cocoon, does it realize how beautiful it has become? Or does it still just see itself as a caterpillar?

Movie Connections:

Features Homo Faber (1991)

Soundtrack:

Gangsta

An Overlooked Masterpiece

"The Air I Breathe" is perhaps one of the most tragically overlooked films of 2007.

An ensemble cast featuring Brendan Fraser, Julie Delpy, Andy Garcia, Forest Whitaker and Sarah Michelle Gellar, among many others, is brought together perfectly in this study of the Six Degrees of Separation by relatively fresh director Jieho Lee.

The story, which is apparently based upon an old Chinese proverb, unfolds in four acts, titled Happiness, Pleasure, Sorrow and Love. Each of the acts focuses on a character representative of the suggested emotion, with Whitaker's Happiness and Fraser's Pleasure standing out as the strongest among a plethora of powerhouse performances.

Like other ensemble dramas -- smash hit and Oscar winner Crash (2005) comes to mind -- the film weaves a tapestry with its players, connecting them all to one-another in ways which may seem unimaginable at the start, but wholly believable and even touching come the film's stunning conclusion.

The film has it all, much akin to the proverb it seeks to replicate. I would recommend that anyone who is looking for a night of quality entertainment consider picking this one up.