The Air I Breathe on DVD (2008)

Whipster from Shropshire [Highly rated reviewer] , 20/05/2008

Brendan Fraser, Forest Whitaker and Andy Garcia take the honours in this snapshot involving four inter-twined tales. Kevin Bacon and SM Geller are also very convincing so basically the casting is spot on. The narratives blend seamlessly and include several nicely executed surprises, though none of them are nice! Andy Garcia plays perfectly in type as nasty gangster boss 'Fingers'. Variously the others, in one way or another, fall foul of his ruthlessness. Its intriguing and will keep you hooked from start to finish, well it did me. The violence when it arrives is harsh and realistic so don't expect any cuddly outcomes. Excellent - go see.

  7 out of 7 people found this review helpful

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crockery from Belfast [Highly rated reviewer] , 29/06/2008

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

  6 out of 6 people found this review helpful

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CheekyBum from London [Highly rated reviewer] , 16/07/2008

5 stars to the director. 5 stars to Fraiser, Whittaker and Garcia. Amazingly connected 3 different stories. Very interesting.

  2 out of 2 people found this review helpful

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Themanintherock from Huddersfield [Highly rated reviewer] , 17/09/2008

The flaw? It's not long enough. You usually get build up to an emotional set piece in a film - and it's needed, to support what you see - but this film is one such scene after another, beating you in submission with its pace. It's also uneven; the first and last story are not as satisfying as the middle two. Is it worth it? Yes. You won't see a better acted film this year. In particular, it puts to bed the idea that Sarah Michelle Gellar is a soap actress; she shows she's learnt that, in films, more is less. It will take a better film for her to be considered for awards, but at least I can imagine it now. So, get past the shorthand method it's been created with, and you have a little gem.

  2 out of 2 people found this review helpful

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crockery from Belfast [Highly rated reviewer] , 29/06/2008

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

  6 out of 6 people found this review helpful

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Themanintherock from Huddersfield [Highly rated reviewer] , 17/09/2008

The flaw? It's not long enough. You usually get build up to an emotional set piece in a film - and it's needed, to support what you see - but this film is one such scene after another, beating you in submission with its pace. It's also uneven; the first and last story are not as satisfying as the middle two. Is it worth it? Yes. You won't see a better acted film this year. In particular, it puts to bed the idea that Sarah Michelle Gellar is a soap actress; she shows she's learnt that, in films, more is less. It will take a better film for her to be considered for awards, but at least I can imagine it now. So, get past the shorthand method it's been created with, and you have a little gem.

  2 out of 2 people found this review helpful

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