The Air I Breathe (2007)

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.

Director:

Jieho Lee

Writers:

Jieho Lee, Bob DeRosa

Stars:

Brendan Fraser, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Andy Garcia

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

Storyline

A frustrated and clumsy bank clerk overhears the conversation of three coworkers in the toilet about a fix in a horse race, and bets a large amount. He loses the bet and owes the money to the dangerous and powerful mobster Fingers. A gangster who works for Fingers has the ability of foreseeing pieces of the future; he is assigned to collect money for the boss, with his troublemaker nephew Tony, and is beaten up by a gang. The manager of pop-star Trista loses her contract to Fingers without her agreement and she is threatened by the gangster. A dedicated doctor seeks a blood donor that might have a rare blood type to save the life of his secret and unrequited passion, a beautiful epidemiologist who's married to a friend.

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Plot Keywords:

younger version of character | 360 degree well camera shot | man punches a woman | man wears eyeglasses | woman wears black lingerie | 

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Taglines:

The question is not whether we will die, but how we will live.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

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

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sarah Michelle Gellar plays a pop star, however she does not sing any songs herself. They are originally sung by Kim Wayman.

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Goofs

When Gina is in the hospital, we see the patient monitor in demonstration mode ("demo" is flashing). It also indicates the patient is an adult male.

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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?

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Connections

References Singin' in the Rain (1952)

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Soundtracks

Los Mojados
Written and Performed by Karin "Negra" Stein
Courtesy of Inter Music Library

User Reviews

A beautiful film based on the interconnection of human beings

I read several bad reviews for this film before actually being able to get my hands on a copy, but remained optimistic about it as I sat down to watch it. Thankfully, some people actually possess the ability to sit down and watch a film with an open mind and then form their own opinion, which is exactly what I did.

What I saw was not a pretentious portrayal of "cheap irony" in which the viewer lives in "Gellar's world". What I saw was a creative endeavour to intertwine four strangers through four major emotions, thus showing that through these emotions, everyone is connected - whether or not they are aware of it. This is what sociologists study and discuss everyday.

The script was performed sensationally, by a stellar cast (Brendan Frasier, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Andy Garcia, Kevin Bacon, Forest Whitaker), encompassing a gritty, fast paced storyline, with melancholic overtones. This film is not all about Gellar - she gives a heart wrenching performance as Trista, but the film is dedicated as much to Garcia, Frasier and Bacon as it is to her. Each performance is worth its weight in gold - Garcia is frightening as mafia boss "Fingers", Frasier pulls at your heart with his resignation to the terrible fates of the people around him and Bacon and Whitaker will surely gain your sympathy with the sheer level of their desperation.

The only thing this film is guilty of is invoking emotion and thought from its viewers - and isn't that the reason to watch it in the first place?

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [United States]

Country:

USA Mexico

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

17 October 2008 (Mexico)

Also Known As:

The Air I Breathe

Filming Locations:

Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$19,487, 27 January 2008

Gross USA:

$25,775

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$2,602,098

Company Credits

Production Co:

NALA Films, Paul Schiff Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1