A forgotten thriller that was slated by critics but loved by many viewers has been added to Amazon Prime Video for UK subscribers. The streaming service has a huge selection of films, and often, things get added and missed by customers. Things get lost in the crowd of choices on Prime Video, and some films fly under the radar before fans get a chance to watch them. One of those films received a grim score from critics but a much better one from general audiences.
The Air I Breathe was added to Amazon Prime Video on Saturday, June 7, and has given fans a chance to watch a thriller that they might have missed when it was first released in 2007. The action-packed flick has a star-studded cast including Brendan Fraser, Forest Whitaker, Kevin Bacon, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Andy Garcia. It follows a gangster who possesses psychic abilities, a doctor struggling to save his lover’s life, a businessman who bets on horses and risks his life, and a crime lord who threatens a pop star.
The film has quite an interesting concept and is based on a Chinese proverb that breaks life down into four emotional elements, with one person’s storyline representing a single one of these cornerstones. Whitaker’s character represents happiness, Fraser’s represents pleasure, Gellar’s represents sorrow, and Bacon’s represents love.
Garcia’s character, Fingers, intertwines and connects each of the stories to each other. While reviews for the film from critics were largely negative, many viewers seemed to have other takes.
On Rotten Tomatoes, The Air I Breathe has an abysmal critic score of just 11 %. However, when it comes to its audience score, it is much higher with 61 %.
One critic said of the film: “The story has no emotional heft or philosophical investment upon which to base its contortions. Instead, it is a gimmick looking for a purpose.”
Another slated: “Music-video director-turned-film-maker Jieho Lee imbues his feature debut with plenty of visual verve, yet can’t make his stories individually distinctive.”
But when it comes to reviews from audiences, of which there are thousands more, there are a lot more positive things said about The Air I Breathe. One viewer said: “This intiguing film watches a small cast of characters intermingle. Great actors show their lives overlapping. The mystery of how life evolves for us all, is broached. Made me think about my life & how I got to where I am.”
Another said: “I think people’s perspective of the film is a bit myopic. The film is cerebral, and if you’re into those kinds of movies, this is outstanding. It simply, for those not willfully hindered by the Gateless Gate, asks one to ponder the meaning of their emotions. I loved it.”
A third wrote: “A charming yet simple story. It’s an anthology piece that focuses on 4 different people. 3 of them, in their own way, help the 4th person be able to escape the life they are in. The acting is good, and the writing is fine. To some, it can come off as pretentious, but I personally don’t think it is. It’s different from what I usually enjoy,y but I surprisingly liked this film.”
A fourth person wrote: “I loved this film. The acting was really good, hardly the best in Whitaker’s career, but still darn good. It was interesting, unlike a lot of films these days. And the ending was really well thought of. I don’t see why the professional critics gave this such a bad rating, and the film Crash a good rating. They’re similar and, in my opinion, equally good.”
However, not all viewers have been convinced and there are some negative reviews from audience members. “Great cast, and I did like Brendan Fraser in it, but the plot was boring,” one person said.
Another wrote: “A pretty stiff and pedestrian movie with some great actors who deliver only mediocre performances. The plot twists are nice but predictable once they occur which results in a rather anti climactic ending. The basic premise here is interesting it just wasn’t delivered in a manner that satisfied me.”