Akito Hirata'The Air I Breathe' - Movie Review
March 27th 2008 05:09
Making his directorial debut Jieho Lee, has created an amazingly stunning piece of cinema. Starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Brendan Frasier, Forest Whitaker, Andy Garcia, Kevin Bacon and Emile Hirsch.
The film is based on a Chinese proverb which states that life consists of four emotional cornerstones: Happiness, Pleasure, Sorrow and Love, the basic mantra is that you can’t experience one without the other. The lead actors each portray an emotion; Forest Whitaker is Happiness, Brendan Frasier is Pleasure, Sarah Michelle Gellar is Sorrow and Kevin Bacon is Love, and like the proverb their paths are inextricably linked. They anchor the four segments of the film, while the ensemble cast weaves in and out of the narrative.
The actors were all amazing in their respective roles; however the standout performance without a doubt was by Sarah Michelle Gellar. Fans of hers, particularly from Buffy the Vampire Slayer will know how much of an astoundingly gifted actress she is. Gellar absolutely shines as Trista (Sorrow). It was hard to find a sub par performance in The Air I Breathe, because there wasn’t one, the cast were all outstanding. Whitaker pulls in a sold performance of an unhappy businessman, Garcia is chillingly wonderful as Fingers the mafia boss, Frasier is stoic in his role as a Pleasure, and Bacon is a delight as a would be hero (Love).
Visually The Air I Breathe is breathtaking, particularly and without giving too much away, in the scene where Sarah Michelle Gellar is walking on the roof with the sunset in the background.
The film demands much of your attention; you really do need to focus to understand what exactly is going on in relation to the timeline. Those that enjoyed ‘Donnie Darko’ and ‘The Butterfly Effect’ will particularly enjoy ‘The Air I Breathe’.
Not for everyone, But I recommend it wholeheartedly I loved it, completely underrated.
The Air I Breathe is currently set to be released on DVD on May 6, 2008 in America.
For Aussies a cinema release date has not been revealed. May go directly to DVD.
4 ½ / 5
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Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness
Can't wait - Donnie is one of my fave films and Butterfly Effect is amazing!!
Thanks