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

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

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)

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 Pleasure gives Happiness the gun, the cut on his face has only one bandage shown, but in the rest of the movie there are two.

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:

Tomorrow

A very well told story about human emotions!

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.