Review of The Air I Breathe (2007) by Zbyn?K S — 09 Apr 2011

First-time director Jieho Lee has brought us the next installment of the multiple stories genre threaded together as though fate and coincidence are the name of the game. This type of narrative has been around for a long time, most definitely before Robert Altman's Short Cuts, but at least there is an example from 15 years ago, and I can't rack the brains for an earlier one at this time. The most well known to those out there today is of course Oscar-winner Crash. Lee's The Air I Breathe, based on an ancient Chinese proverb that life can be broken down into the four emotional cornerstones of Happiness, Pleasure, Sorrow, and Love, is not as good as Haggis' film, and I think even that one is overrated. It's not that I disliked this one, I actually found a lot that I really loved, unfortunately, there's more that feels overdone, overwritten, and absolutely unrealistic. One thing you can't fault it for, however, is the superb cast and acting.

Some of the dialogue is almost too obvious, at times having answers repeat all the words in the question...just a bad redundancy as though the audience might not comprehend a short answer. These characters are so important in the scheme of each other's lives that everything out of their mouths needs to be so well crafted that it becomes stiff. The delivery, though, is almost consistently superb. Brendan Fraser is great in a rare serious role, the kind of stuff that began his career. Very stoic and deliberate in all he does, you begin to feel for him as the stone façade starts to falter. Due to the story-structure going out of order, we see some of this emotional evolution before the catalyst for it, but once that event occurs, it makes everything before it make more sense and I actually think it was handled well as a result. Even his ability to see the future was utilized in a realistic way that it never felt like a gimmick, just a skill he had and used. The best actor, again as almost always, is Forest Whitaker as a by-the-books successful man who has finally realized that his pristine life is devoid of true happiness. No material needs can fill the void of actually living, whether living wealthy or poorly, it is the act of adventure and excitement that is necessary to enjoy. His final reaction of pure adulation is the best part of the film and it happens about twenty minutes in.

One would think that a story as involving as this would have pretty equal billing for all roles, but that is not true. Whitaker and Kevin Bacon are underused while Fraser is involved at almost every turn. Andy Garcia, however, is the one that stays the most constant throughout. As a hardnosed bookie/gangster, nicknamed "Fingers," Garcia shines, something that usually doesn't occur with him of late. He is good at this type of role and it was nice to see him sink his teeth into it. Even Sarah Michelle Gellar had her moments, although few, to show that maybe she can do more than Scooby-Doo and every year's Japanese horror remake. Mention also needs to go to Clark Gregg in a small, but funny role, and Emile Hirsch as Garcia's nephew, appearing to be a pawn to the plot, but in actuality becomes a role with payoff.

As far as the style went, I can't complain too much. The correlations between each thread is well conceived if not totally contrived to benefit the story. I enjoyed the transitions, especially at the start with multiple layers and progressions. I can't quite recall if that is the only part in which it was used, though. The music was also a help; very Explosions in the Sky-like, the score enhanced each moment it was used. In the end, the film just couldn't keep its bloated, heavy-handed script up. Even utilizing the four emotions as vignette titles (something used similarly in the superior The Dead Girl) was so obvious that it became laughable. Each instance made you know first thing that they will be the exact opposite of that title despite the lead thinking they were-happiness was really depression, pleasure was really regret, sorrow was really vanity, and love was desperation. Every emotion is more of a backhanded overview that is manipulated in order to serve the tale, rather than allowing the tale to serve the emotions that are supposed to be back-boning it.

Happiness, Sorrow, Pleasure and Love are the four respective themes that writers Jieho Lee (who also directed) and Bob DeRosa tackle in these bizarre stories. This is a film about luck, both good and bad- and what perspective you choose to look at the characters fates will probably determine whether you like this movie or not. Happiness is presented first, with Forest Whitaker playing a nerdy office worker who decides to take a huge risk, betting everything on what he thinks is a fixed horse race. Does the risk pay off? You decide. Next up is Sorrow, in the form of Sarah Michelle Gellars fragile pop music star, who finds out that her contract has been sold to a vicious mobster called Fingers. Fingers is played by Andy Garcia, in a memorably over-the-top performance (care to take a guess how he got his nickname?) and he is the one constant in each of these stories. He is the single piece of thread that connects all of these individuals. Third and best of this series, is Pleasure, in the guise of Brendan Frasers mob henchman with psychic abilities. Namely, he can see into the future. He works for (you guessed it) Fingers and has an adventurous night babysitting Fingers nephew Tony, a young, wanna-be mobster with a foul mouth and a reckless streak. During the course of that night, however; something happens and he isnt able to see the future and as a result, gets the crap kicked out of him. This is actually great for him, because he regards his psychic gift as more of a curse. Soon he is asked to baby-sit the pop star (who Fingers is basically holding hostage) and the pair fall in love which leads to some complications. The fourth and final scenario involves Kevin Bacon as a doctor who will do anything to save the woman he loves (Delpy), another doctor who is dying from a serious injury. All of these characters connect, to a certain degree and events set in motion by one individual, effect others; either favorably or not.

A clumsy 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 has the ability of foreseeing the future and works for Fingers; he is assigned to collect money for the boss with his troublemaker nephew Tony and is beat up by a gang. The manager of the pop-star Trista loses her contract to Fingers without her agreement and she is threatened by the gangster. A doctor seeks a blood donor that might have a rare blood type to save the life of his passion.