Air I Breathe, The (Blu-ray)

Connect to Facebook/Twitter, recommend via email and much more.

---

Before I wrap up my review, I have one last word of caution about the film. It's the type of movie where each story arc contains new pieces of the puzzle that slowly fall into place and eventually comes around full circle. So if you have to raid the fridge or take a bathroom break, it's definitely a good idea to hit the pause button so you don't miss anything that's critical to the story.

Video:
The Blu-ray version of "The Air I Breathe" is presented in widescreen with an aspect ratio of 2.40:1. Blacks are sharp and deep throughout, and I only noticed some very minor cases of noise at one or two points during the movie. That being said, it still is one of the better high definition transfers I've personally seen for the format.

Audio:
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 audio track was very impressive on my home theater system. I felt like the thunder in one scene was really occurring outside my window and the gunshots made a realistic statement. Although I didn't particularly care for some of the music, it was so well tuned and exquisitely balanced that it still sounded excellent. Some of the softer dialogue was a bit hard to make out when characters were whispering to each other, but that only happened once or twice during the whole movie. A Dolby Digital 5.1 track is also included, along with optional English and Spanish subtitles.

Extras:
First up is an audio commentary featuring director/co-writer Jieho Lee, co-writer Bob DeRosa, director of photography Walt Lloyd, and editor Robert Hoffman. It's a pretty standard commentary, but I did find it interesting when Lee pointed out that some of his inspiration came from "The Wizard Of Oz," and I never realized that the emotional concept is also tied to the four elements: air (happiness), fire (pleasure), water (sorrow), and earth (love). If I was looking to impress my college professor by deciphering all of the hidden meanings in a film, "The Air I Breathe" certainly is a gold mine.

There is also a collection of four deleted scenes: "The Dreams," "Living in the Present," "Tony," and "Check-up." The first three weren't anything special, but I thought the last one could have stayed in the picture. As I mentioned earlier, Kevin Bacon's character had the least development, and "Check-up" reinforced the intensity of his love for Gina.

Rounding out the bonus features is a short run of Outtakes (2:07) and a Theatrical Trailer for the film.

The Final Cut:
Judging from the varying reviews for "The Air I Breathe" all over the Internet, it's obviously a film that some people will love and others will hate. I find myself in the first camp, and I'd say that those who didn't like the movie failed to see the messages it was trying to deliver. It's a cerebral film that makes you think, and the puzzle is solved once the last piece falls into place.

---

Connect to Facebook/Twitter, recommend via email and much more.

---