At one point, the young foreign visitor asks the dad whether he screwed up his chance at a happy fulfilling life. Given the chance, in all honesty each of the main characters would have had the same answer.I wonder if the director mightn't say the same about his ending. Wikipedia has no doubt, claiming a visible scar on the daughter's face, I saw no such sign of earlier damage, opening a wholly different interpretation of the ending. So which is it: the family deciding to soldier on despite its grave wounds, showing a brave false face of happiness to the camera or something more enigmatic?P.S. Thanks to viewing on a dvr, I was able to freeze the action on the very nanosecond thee daughter's eyebrow indeed shows a faint scar. But how about the poor folks watching in a theater?P,S.S. I wasn't able to understand large chunks of dialog. Anyone have hearing/comprehension issues?

At some point in the movie Sophie says to Keith: "You just have to make sure that you're choosing it. I just don't wanna be living a life where I'm not choosing stuff", which is so profound and one of the few real truths of life I think. This movie shows the struggles in life, the awful truth that after 17 years a father, who made sacrifices for his family is not happy being a music teacher and living in the outskirts of New York in a small quiet town. The arrival of exchange student Sophie is the trigger and a wake-up call in his life and marriage. The tender love story is portrayed brilliantly and the paralyzing hit of reality is so profound it will make you think deeply of your own life. This movie is worth the watch.

"Breathe In" is a film whose plot sounds a bit salacious. And, considering it's a rated R film, I was a bit apprehensive to see the movie. After all, the film is about a man who falls in love with the high school exchange student that he and his wife took into their home. However, the film turned out to be extremely well made and not at all what I expected. And, I have no idea why it's rated R, as the film has no nudity, violence and the language is awfully tame. Overall, it's well worth your time finding this film--and it's available as of this week with Netflix.When the story begins, Keith Reynolds (Guy Pearce) and his wife Megan (Amy Ryan) seem to have a very good life. Their daughter is a pretty high school athlete, they have a lovely home in the suburbs and the marriage seems strong. All of this is shaken shortly after they take in Sophie (Felicity Jones)--an exchange student from Britain. You begin to notice that there are some problems in the Reynolds marriage. Keith is a frustrated musician who dreams of leaving his teaching job to be a full-time musician. However, Megan won't even consider this and insists that he must continue working to keep the family just as it is now. And, she is quite dismissive of his dreams and seems to have little desire to connect with his love of music. Here is where Sophie comes into the picture. She is a great pianist herself and loves Keith's music. She also encourages him with his dream of joining a great orchestra. So, as the film progresses, the pair become closer and closer. And so, when they begin to feel inappropriate feelings towards each other (especially since he is her teacher), it's not especially surprising and, in some ways, it's expected by the viewer. However, and this is important, the film is NOT meant as a romance or endorsement for middle-aged men to have sex with young exchange students. Instead, it's a character study about loneliness within a marriage--loneliness which may push someone to consider making some very stupid choices.So why do I recommend the film? Well, the film is so well made in so many ways. The acting (particularly by Pearce and Jones) is so good because it seems so real. And, the director did a nice job of combining this acting, a nice and provocative script and some really wonderful emotive music into a great little package. I also liked it because it really makes you think and assess where you are in your life. It really struck close to home for me and my own marriage. For me, it was actually very affirming because my own wife went through a mid-life crisis like Keith Reynolds--wanting to give up a very lucrative career as an engineer to become a fiction writer. But, unlike Megan, I thought this was great. Sure, it might mean giving up a lot for the family so that she could follow her dream...but we also knew it would kill her if she didn't--and she is worth the sacrifice. And, in the end, we are all so much better for it--she is quite successful and the change has definitely been for the better for not just her but the entire family.As I mentioned above, this film just came out on Netflix this week and is well worth seeing--particularly with your partner or other loved ones. Don't worry about the R rating--it's also fine for you to see with your teens or mother! I also noticed a reviewer who saw the film as tedious. Well, I sure didn't and it kept my interest throughout.

As was the case with Like Crazy this tale centres around a seemingly doomed romance that in the wrong hands could of become nothing more than a seriously creepy and unbelievable forbidden love story that would of been mighty hard to fall into from a viewing perspective. It's a real testament to Doremus and his writing partner Ben York Jones that this never takes effect and what does happen is a believable and realistic love story that is very far from a fairy-tale yet equally far away from feeling wrong when it really should be. Motivation for characters to go down paths they do consistently feels warranted with everyone from Pearce's longing for the old days Keith, Jone's mourning and wandering soul Sophie through to Adam's loving Megan and Davis's learning Lauren all natural characters that go through an arc which allows emotional investment a chance for these quality actors to ply there trade on material that matches their talent.Reuniting with actress Jones after there joint successful breakthrough, Doremus again extracts a great turn from Jones who despite being far to old to be an 18 year exudes mystic and charm as the talented and wise beyond her years Sophie while it's a real joy to see Pearce given a role that showcases his often misused talents and it's hopefully a sign of things to come with his upcoming turn in the fantastic looking Australian movie The Rover. Ryan as always is good but particular mention needs to be made of young actress Mackenzie Davis who not only holds her own with this experienced cast but has moments that outshine all of them and it looks to be that she is a talent to watch. Other elements of the film are top notch from a really touching score through to Doremus eye for a camera shot Breathe In is quality at almost every turn it takes.An at times sweet, sad and poignant love story Breathe In is another fine slice of life and love from Doremus and fans of any of these actors would be well advised to track this unfortunately low key release down to enjoy them on top form. A movie that should of been hard to warm to is here an effecting and non-manipulative tale in the hands of an upcoming director that looks set to be one of the best in the business in years to come.4 memory filled tapes out of 5 For more movie reviews and opinions check out - www.jordanandeddie.wordpress.com