BREATHE IN – The Review

Drake Doremus takes us on a journey into the lives of a suburbanized city family man and the exchange student who opened his eyes in the all new American drama BREATHE IN.

BREATHE IN is the newest release by director Drake Doremus, and stars Felicity Jones, who is making her second appearance in a Doremus film. Jones plays Sophie Williams, a British exchange student who has come to New York to find inspiration on her musical journey. She ended up with a seemingly happy host family, but soon that facade begins to crumble. Her attention is turned on Keith, played by Guy Pearce, an angry musician who has watched his passion fizzle into an unrewarding, lifeless career as a piano teacher. Sophie’s passion for music begins to awaken a part of Keith that has layer dormant for years, and the two form a bond over the feeling that they don’t belong in the house that they come home to.

Written by Doremus and Ben York Jones, the story itself is not as powerful as I hoped that it would be. Doremus captures these incredible, emotional moments, but I feel that the warning signs of what was to come were so apparent that the character might as well have walked right into them face first… and in a sense, they did. The film is incredibly predictable. Having said that, the performances are what make this an interesting film. Guy Pearce and Felicity Jones play their characters with an intensity and power that draws the audience in. Their chemistry is undeniable on-screen.

Doremus uses a low, natural light to capture a breathless, more natural feel to the film, allowing a fitting mood to compliment the actors during their scenes. He does a great job of showcasing the lighter and darker sides of love. I feel like all of the pieces of the puzzle were there to make an incredible film, but due to the predictability of the script… I found it to only be a good film.

OVERALL RATING : 3 out of 5 stars

BREATHE IN Opens March 28th in NYC at AMC Empire 25, Chelsea 9, and AMC Village VIII and April 4th in LA