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Slow pace in the most part of the movie.

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

The Air I Breathe is the directorial film debut of Korean-American filmmaker Jieho Lee, who co-wrote the script with Bob DeRosa. In this powerful film, four very different people on the edge of desperation are unexpectedly linked by their destinies. A top-notch cast featuring Forest Whitaker, Andy Garcia, Kevin Bacon, Brendan Fraser, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Emile Hirsch unforgettably brings to life the stories of a clairvoyant gangster, a rising pop star, an unlikely bank robber and a doctor desperate to save the love of his life.The concept of the film is based on an ancient Chinese proverb that breaks life down into four emotional cornerstones – Happiness, Pleasure, Sorrow, and Love. The proverb speaks of these emotions, not as isolated fragments of feelings, but as elements that make up the whole of the human existence. Each of the four protagonists is based on one of the four emotions; and like the proverb their paths are inextricably linked to each other, akin to the Fingers of a hand.A powerful crime boss, Fingers, subtly controls the destinies of four people whose circumstances have brought them to a crossroads in their lives. A quiet business executive is told that an upcoming horse race has been rigged and bets everything he has on his belief that the story is true. A noted pop singer discovers her career is hanging in the balance when she's forced to sever ties with her manager. A doctor must set aside a physician's traditional guidelines when circumstances demand he treat the woman he loves after a serious accident. And a criminal has a powerful vision of the future, but can't decide if his premonitions are to be trusted. Every so often a crime drama with delusions of existential grandeur comes ambling down the pike. Sometimes a philosophically-inclined filmmaker strikes cinematic gold. If video director Jieho Lee's erratic debut falls short of that estimable mark, he can't be faulted for lack of ambition. It is a jumbled Independent production that accomplishes little save for the squandering of a talented cast,who themselves could not help the film reach its potential.Each story has its moments but it lacks an overarching vision.Added to that,a stew of cheap irony, ponderous but meaningless allegory, violence and pretension, the movie is all borrowed style and calculated pandering. It does, however, get more ludicrous by the minute.But inconsistent acting and clunky dialogue aside, it infuses conventional genre thrills with introspection to intermittently engaging effect.

If we could see our future, what would we see? Would we realize that all our hard work, dedication with study would lead to a life within four, small walls? Would the tragedy of our past linger with each step forward? Would regret dig in for what we could not change, and would we love with all our heart, knowing that it would be returned to sender? Would happiness remain a dream, drifting like beauty across the butterfly wings, daring us to risk all to be free, but what cost would we pay? How hard would we fall? We take another step forward, walking the streets of journey, and trying to understand who we are, but what we can't change ends up changing us, turning the wheel to destiny. And brilliance is the sun ending sorrow and igniting hope, and as one chapter ends, a new life begins. And we savor the bitter but sweet air that we breathe.

I really didn't know what to expect from this movie, never even heard of the director. But decided to check the movie out because of the casting and I must say it's a decent movie about the converging of destinies. And if you like movies that has something to do with the converging of destinies will probably enjoy this movie and there is four segments in this one. Some people claim this movie is a copy of "Pulp Fiction" I don't really think that is the case and the cross thread story line works pretty well although there really isn't much character development in each segment. Although the fast pacing can be a good thing cause it really doesn't get boring for the most part. The screenplay is the main negative aspect of this movie, it just all seemed like a dream because it just feels silly at times. It's a ambitious movie but it just doesn't feel like it got the job done right at times as well. The acting is done really well though even if few stood out more than the other, the script is decent so all in all it's worth checking out but nothing really breathtaking. The ending isn't amazing, but satisfying.6.9/10

OK, it starts off relatively promising.. And I hope I don't spoil anything for anyone by saying it sort of went all down hill after the first 5 minutes.... Especially the end, where the supposedly pop-starry girl drives around town with loads of lip gloss smeared all over her face.... OMG - what's that all about!!!!! And I really wasn't planning on saying anything else bad about this movie (cause bad it is folks back home who think of renting this movie STOP STOP STOP STOP STOP) but since they made me write at least ten lines to be able to drop this warning I will keep on ranting for now. So, let's think, what was good?!...... Good question..... Hmmm....... Whitaker was sort of OK, although I think playing in this movie with the girl with the glossy face didn't do him any good...sorry to bring it up again (-: