This film definitely had potential; unfortunately the sub-par acting, contrived storyline and mediocre directing made The Air I Breathe fall flat on its face. I don't know why there are so many glowing reviews here I ended the film completely unfulfilled. First of all, the postmodern nonlinear plot trajectory was transparent and manufactured. So many films try to be postmodern and fail for the very fact that they are trying too hard (The Number 23, The Butterfly Effect, The Eye Inside, etc.) Secondly, I felt no sympathy for Fraser and Gellar's characters because they were not developed at all. Garcia was basically a caricature of a hardcore gangster, wooden and completely undeveloped. Whitaker wasn't bad, but he was entirely underused. In fact, if the story had focused more on his character and less on the others, the movie might have been better. Lacking any semblance of subtlety, this film doggedly beats us over the head with forced emotionality.
Bottom line: A film that is trying really, really hard to be poignant is not going to be poignant at all. If you want a better version of the nonlinear, strangers lives intersecting theme, 21 Grams and Crash are a lot better, although even Crash tried a little too hard to get its point across. When is Hollywood going to get it -- be more subtle. Sometimes less is more.
Bottom line: A film that is trying really, really hard to be poignant is not going to be poignant at all. If you want a better version of the nonlinear, strangers lives intersecting theme, 21 Grams and Crash are a lot better, although even Crash tried a little too hard to get its point across. When is Hollywood going to get it -- be more subtle. Sometimes less is more.