The Air I Breathe

The auspicious beginning set me up for an exceptional experience, but with each passing minute the film lost steam and grew senselessly convoluted. No wonder the final "untangling" didn't turn out well. Enough is enough. I don't understand how Jieho Lee could have let this happen, I was quite a believer in him. I feel almost no emotion here, but a lot of effort. So at least the quality of the actors and the fairly accomplished music saves the day in the end. A weak 3 stars... such a pity. (22.09.2011)

I feel that this project was a waste. In this mishmash, it's not so much the actors who play a role, but rather the director and screenwriter who are trying to create a new Magnolia, but because they lack sufficient experience and probably abilities as well, they remain at the level of posing and intellectual kitsch. The film only plays at being a deep social commentary and where it tries to escalate situations and human emotions, it becomes extremely untrustworthy, sentimental, or even pathetic. What works is the cast. I don't know how Jieho Lee did it without connections and experience, but he managed to gather a group of either quality (Garcia, Whitaker) or at least popular (Gellar) actors who try and are able to create the impression that there really is something going on. Otherwise, Lee didn't direct anything worth mentioning before The Air I Breathe, and even though four years have passed since then, he still has not directed anything, which seems characteristic to me. Overall impression: 35%. (18.09.2011)

A very interesting drama that captivates the viewer primarily with its interconnectedness of individual characters and their destinies. It is actually four stories where the main characters influence each other in some way. A bit inconsistent, Bacon's storyline is overly exaggerated and annoying, but otherwise, I think this is a film that can withstand one viewing. (29.08.2014)

Amores Perros, Magnolia, Crash + other actors playing "fatalistically" in their fatalistic mosaic pieces = The Air I Breathe. The remnants of the obvious inspiration in the story structure here is undeniable, but the acting is mostly good (Whitaker is excellent as usual), the visuals are pleasing, and it's still about themes that are undeniably attractive for a film rendering. In short, if you revel in onscreen suffering and feel mentally enriched by the culminating terror and misfortune that befalls the main characters, you will definitely not be disappointed. (04.05.2013)

Although the script smacks of a certain creative cluelessness at times, I still quite liked this movie. I'm not a big fan of Brendan Fraser, but I quite enjoyed his presence in this mosaic of four interconnected stories. However, Forest Whitaker gives by far the best performance here. It's a real shame that the regular financial advisor that he plays doesn't survive longer. The music, which beautifully completes the darkly melancholic mood of the movie, is also worth mentioning. (75%) (14.08.2022)