A perfect film for gazing longingly into Felicity Jones’ spellbinding blue eyes. Director Drake Doremus’ indie romance drama Breathe In (2013) is phenomenal. You get this sultry affair and all these intense feelings of yearning, desire, and understanding. The expressive piano music swirls around these characters all experiencing deep anguish and guilt over this affair they are aware of and how it destroys a family. Breathe In feels very poetic and artful with shocking revelations and really earnest filmmaking. I just loved Felicity Jones and Guy Pearce in this powerful drama Breathe In. Writers Ben York Jones and Drake Doremus craft a tender romance script full of intrigue, tenderness, and passion. I know Drake Doremus had a mostly improvised script for Like Crazy starring Felicity Jones, so I am impressed he just did a 60 page outline for Felicity Jones and Guy Pearce to improvise all their dialogue. I appreciate their foreshadowing with certain characters looking at each other or characters constantly saying be careful of your driving. It’s interesting that Doremus cast Felicity as a foreign exchange student again. She gets to be the enchanting foreigner sweeping a man disillusioned with his loveless marriage, dissatisfying teaching career, and finding comfort in a gifted pianist with a shared love of music. You get every relationship dynamic between a married man going through a midlife crisis, a grown man seeking a younger girl than his wife, a teacher creeping on his young student, a jealous teenage daughter who cannot cope with how horrible men treat her, a wife worried about her husband and marriage, and a sleazy male student lying about the girls in his grade. Breathe In reminded me of other films about infidelity and attraction like Like Crazy, The Piano, The Crush, Unfaithful, Marriage Story, and The Descendants. Casting director Eyde Belasco cast amazing actors and actresses for Breathe In’s strong ensemble. Australian actor Guy Pearce is enthralling as the sorrowful piano music teacher Keith Reynolds, who longs for a job as a cellist in an orchestra. Pearce is fascinating with his sullen looks at his wife who he thinks doesn’t support him or his aspirations. His lustful glances at Felicity and guilty looks at his own daughter are engaging. He really captures the different emotions this villain is feeling. English actress Felicity Jones is precious, subtle, and captivating as the English foreign exchange student Sophie. Her piercing blue eyes convey a sincere desire for love, but also invite us into her guilt. You feel her initial loneliness and wanderlust that turns into musical interest in Pearce’s Keith, then a real lust. Jones is the most natural actress with hypnotizing eyes. I love how you can tell she’ll immediately start flirting with this married man with her certain side looks as well as the boyfriend of his daughter. While she rejects the boyfriend’s drunken advances, you can tell through Felicity’s expressive eyes she really lingers on Guy and matches his yearning. American actress Amy Ryan is fascinating too as Guy’s wife Megan Reynolds. You can tell she is suspicious and forlorn until Amy’s character really understands the depths of her husband’s betrayal. She’s very nuanced in her gestures. Canadian actress Mackenzie Davis is excellent as the hurt teenage daughter Lauren Reynolds. She starts out as happy and friendly, then turns to despair and hopelessness as she realizes what is happening around her. Breathe In is a devastating supporting actress role for Mackenzie Davis. American actress and comedian Alexandra Wentworth is funny as the family friend Wendy Sebeck. Kyle MacLachlan is hilarious as her sleazy husband Peter Sebeck, who gazes at Felicity and comments on her body to Guy Pearce. It’s a very funny quick cameo. New York actor and Alexandra Daddario’s brother Matthew Daddario is really creepy as the sleazy high schooler Aaron, who previously slept with Lauren. Him lying about sleeping with a girl to his friends is so casually cruel. Editor Jonathan Alberts’ gently dreamy cutting style lets each scene flow with a natural poetic style. Every scene in Breathe In allows the audience into the intimate moments. He emphasizes the particular gaze of someone’s eyes locking with another with yearning. Cinematographer John Guleserian shoots the most mesmerizing close up shots of Felicity Jones’ pretty eyes. Production designer Katie Byron’s cozy home sets are quite nice and realistic. Composer Dustin O'Halloran’s serene film score sounds so romantic. His gentle piano playing delivers a tranquil atmosphere for his lovely film score. All the real classical pieces performed by the orchestra are beautiful as well of course. Sound designer Jesse Pomeroy, Andy Hay, and Paul Stanley capture every soft note and spoken word with clarity and little ambient noises. Costume designer Emma Potter gives Felicity Jones the cutest dresses, blouses, jeans, sneakers, and swimsuits. In all, Felicity Jones and Guy Pearce are simply marvelous for all 98 minutes.

I utterly loved this film. I thought the quietness of the character played by Felicity Jones came with really charged intensity. It was very easy to see how the father, Keith (played by Guy Pearce), would have fallen for the hypnotic alure of Ms Jones' character. Oh, and the music. Wonderful.

i was constantly annoyed by that one girl. shes like the main character but i dont even remember her name. it was a very odd movie with a confusing ending.

Like a forgetful mellow drama: breathe in, breathe out.

Can a 18 something teen of half the age of a talented musician disrupt the happy family life, the reply shall be not usually. The director with excellent team has convincingly dramatized the story of mid-life crisis when a man in his forties finds himself attracted to a teen that lives with his family as a foreign exchange student. There is neither an ideal nor any bad character in the family drama ; for a sensitive human being it shall not be easily forgotten. I recommend the movie , it is one of the 20 best films ever watched by me during the 21st century; characters and situations may be seen by the audience with open eyes as fully lived in instead of merely portrayed. It is not perfect like life (with a sigh...)

Personally think this is Drake Doremus' best film (have watched pretty much all of them in lockdown). I like the realism of this, without wanting to spoil anything by why it's realistic, also I feel like Guy Pearce is a seriously underrated actor, he's always amazing in anything I have seen with him and I feel like he goes under the radar.

Painful tale of unmet desires sparking bad selfish choices to fulfill desired dreams; good performances across the board from the cast

I just knew that it had been written and directed by a man, before the movie ended. Though brilliantly acted and gorgeously shot, there is no way this movie ages well, which is essentially a 50 year old man finding solace in a girl his daughter's age to free him from the rut that he finds himself in. No matter how much Chopin and Bach you play, the movie couldn't convince me it was a sweet, forbidden romance rather felt like a bitter old man creeping on a young girl. And btw, I have nothing against May-December romances. They happen all the time. But the movie does its best to convince us that the hero is suffering in his beautiful suburban home, with his beautiful family and secure job because he once gave up dreams to live in city and his dream job of being a rockstar (?) to father a child. Even if the movie had offered another perspective, instead of romanticizing the leads who are reckless and destructive; it would have made for a more compelling story.

Great performances and a very intriguing forbidden romance story angle, but the script wastes too much time on boring things - like the bratty daughter character. A more daring and bold storyteller (like PTA) would have turned this same plot into an Oscar caliber film.

A true story that shows the commitment of a wife, family, and friends to a man who is paralyzed by polio. Innovation gets him out of the hospital to live at home and to travel. He changed the lives of many with the portable lung and wheelchair, Worth seeing if you appreciate resilient people.

With great acting coming from its leads, this almost run-of-the-mill storyline barely punches its way through an otherwise difficult premise to maintain.

My only regret is that the film didn't take it farther which would carry it more fantastical-like but far more pleasing in the conclusion. But since things don't work that way its acceptable how it went. But it's trip that it took you on feels so familiar and makes you longing for something like it, it's my quintessential romantic drama. The actors who played the characters and the writing fused flawlessly and ultimately placed my admiration higher for them. Yet even after all this there is still something i loved about it so much that I just can't seem to explain.

Felicity Jones is extraordinary ! The plot is simple and boring .

Could watch Guy Pearce in anything, but didn't finish this. Director kept us from involvement with characters with obvious camerawork and faltering conversations.

An intense drama with solid performances from the lead Guy Pearce and Felicity Jones. Even though the movie has delicacy intimation among the troubled unveiled emotions, the film`s narrative was quite lame for an disturbing, emotional and unforgettable drama. i just need to know what was Sophie doing aftermath in the film. i can`t et through the film`s end... But a good movie to think yourself twice after watching it.

Doremus's romantic drama has nothing particularly new or exciting to offer, but still manages to achieve a rating on the good level. The notable cast and pleasant cinematography accompanied by Dustin O'Halloran's beautiful score justify Breath In as a decent and enjoyable movie.

Stunning cinematography and profound directing. The performances are a bit subtle but deliver the required emotions they need to convey.

great film!! I think this is a must-see.

So much suffering and unsolved desires under this family's surface. The arrival of an exchange student lets it erupt.

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