[Ruby Hornet will be attending the 49th Chicago International Film Festival from 10/10 – 10/24. Be sure to follow along as we bring you coverage from the longest-running competitive international film festival in the country. You can find all of our coverage from this year’s CIFF here.]
Breathe In
Director: Drake Doremus
Country: United States
Release Date: October 19, 2013 (CIFF)
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Keith (Guy Pearce) is a piano teacher and aspiring cellist for the New York Symphony Orchestra with a loving wife (Amy Ryan) and daughter (Mackenzie Davis). When Sophie (Felicity Jones) arrives as part of a foreign exchange program, she opens up deep questions within Keith’s mind that he already had, including relocating to Manhattan from the suburbs and leaving his teaching job. However, as Sophie and Keith grow closer, their relationship tiptoes into romantic territory, threatening to ruin the family’s lives.
Breathe In is similar to director Drake Doremus’ previous film, Like Crazy, with its intimate look at relationships. However, he expands on his style by focusing more on the auxiliary characters outside of the main relationship. The film’s perspective is still coming from Keith and Sophie, but you can still see the strife and devastation the two are causing. Like Crazy was insular, which fit the film’s premise, but it’s good to see that Breathe In retains the relationship depth of Like Crazy while still being able to not be so closed off. If she wasn’t already one of my favorite young actresses, Felicity Jones’ performance in Breathe In solidifies her stance as one of the actresses you have to keep your eyes on.
Score: 
7 out of 10