Sometimes I would allow myself to indulge in a film of little popularity and reputation. Yet, most of the time, such an indulgence doesn't disappoint me; Breathe in successfully blows some fresh air into my perspective.The initial welcoming altitude to novel elements in life, which refers to the introduction of Sophie into the Reynolds, is in stark contrast with the resultant frustration of the disruption of life by the very same element. This is built up with care, especially the transformation of the relationship between Sophie and Keith. Felicity Jones and Guy Pearce deserve every acclaim they receive for depicting the characters with such an authenticity. Sophie seems to be so compatible to Keith; they understand each other's music in a way that Keith's family members couldn't. This bothers me as if Keith and his wife are not really in profound understanding of each other, why would they marry? An irony as it may seem, this is justified by the dependence of marriage on fate; one's wife or husband may not necessarily the best match for him or her, but at a certain time in life, such a decision to get engaged appear credulous and justifiable.Family ties with responsibility. I doubt if there's anyone in the family who is not aware of Keith's affection for Sophie, yet they remain in solidarity upon the leaving of Sophie. A notion raised in one of the episodes of Orange is the new black that I'm watching coincides with the point that Breathe in puts across: the greatest fear of human beings is encountering collateral damage; humans would opt for choices that would make the least destruction, not the one in accordance to morality.

I watched Drake Doremus' 2013 film Breath In last night. I always enjoy seeing Guy Pearce and Felicity Jones, both of whom seem to be everywhere these days. I wondered what would draw them both into what seemed to be a tiny film. I was not disappointed.The story is essentially a British forbidden love novel with all the right beats and few of the traps that D. H. Lawrence would have merrily strewn through it. The actors were well chosen, and every effort was made to restrain what could easily have been a tawdry, melodramatic and self-righteous tale. Doremus, who also wrote the film, made sure that every character had a firm perspective and the romance was attributed at least in part to events in their lives at that moment. What happened could simply not have been avoided by real people, which should be said of all stories.

"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.

I will keep this short and sweet before I burst into tears. Watch the film. Acting 10/10 (oh my god I love Felicity Jones). Directing 10/10 I found the pacing incredible and the story told like mother used to read at bedtime. Tension 10/10 gets it's own rating because there is about half an hour speech in total, the film is carried mostly by the ability to read emotions from the characters faces and knowing exactly what you would be thinking in those situations. This film requires an awful lot of empathy.There is nothing I want to say about it that cannot in some way ruin the experience. It is not a film it is an experience. Half an hour has passed since I watched the credits roll, I'm still shaking, and I still can't think straight. This film got into me through personal cracks when it forced me to empathize with the fissures between the characters, forced me to seek them out using an empathic intuition I try to keep shielded at all times. But lo and behold it snook under my shield and just when I thought it was about to lift my helmet and kiss me, I instead received a disjointing uppercut. I still don't know if I found the characters to be inspiringly strong, or if I'm distraught at their weakness. But then aren't we all weak in the face of love? Love is something that creeps under your shield while you're focused on something else, before you know it you can be looking into love's eyes whilst she strokes your cheek and closes her eyes as you both depart from this dimension and float through infinity. Or she can sucker punch you and walk away laughing. I won't tell you which ending you get but you'll know from the start which ending the characters need, but by the end you'll either be dazed from a sweet kiss, or a sour uppercut.