With few words and deceivingly picture-perfect smiles, the new drama “Breathe In” opens with a typical American family of three taking their annual family portrait.
The family dynamic changes quickly when an exchange student moves in and quietly wrecks havoc in their lives, almost as serenely as taking a deep breath in and out.
Rather than emphasizing dialogue, “Breathe In” attempts to mirror the fluidity of breathing itself, allowing haunting camera shots and close-ups to seep effortlessly into one’s consciousness, guided by Dustin O’Halloran’s score, as a family falls apart.
The film follows the story of 18-year-old Sophie (Felicity Jones), a foreign exchange student from the United Kingdom who comes to stay with the Reynolds, an American family living in upstate New York. Following precedents, the visiting Sophie is a beautiful girl wise beyond her years, 18 going on 30, searching for meaning in her life after the death of a beloved uncle.
Sophie’s presence challenges existing relationships by capturing the attention of both the father and a high school-aged love interest. The movie also questions the very stability – and existence – of a stereotypical 21st-century family unit.
“Breathe In,” directed by Drake Doremus (“Like Crazy”) and cowritten by Doremus and Ben York Jones, at times works overly hard to prove itself as an independent art house success. In many ways, the film acts as a modernized, American imitation of 2009’s “An Education,” with the oft-told story of an affair between a young girl and an older, married man.
However, between softly stunning cinematography and a mesmerizing score, “Breathe In” inspires a certain amount of thoughtfulness as it challenges archetypal notions with an individualized approach that inspires reflection rather than judgment.
The Reynolds – musician-turned-educator Keith (Guy Pearce) and cookie-jar aficionado Megan (Amy Ryan) – represent the epitome of a couple stifling individual desires and ambitions for the sake of appearances. Their 17-year-old daughter, Lauren (Mackenzie Davis), is a stunning swimming star struggling with normalcy – crushing on an attractive teenaged boy, experimenting with alcohol, wanting her own car.
As soon as Sophie arrives, she seems to capture the attention of Keith. In addition to a love of literature, they share another passion: music. Having played piano since age 5, Sophie showcases her extraordinary musical gift in the most ridiculous scene of the film. Performing for her piano class, which Keith also teaches, Sophie plays a difficult Chopin piece with ease.
The camera angles draw attention to the impossibility of the moment and the obvious use of a hand double as the pace quickens to an unbelievable rate incongruous with the actress’ movement. The scene’s unrealistic feeling extends all the way to Sophie’s last note, as Pearce’s facial reaction is almost contemplative rather than astounded, representing the more absurd elements of the plot. Sophie performs Chopin supposedly with the same amount of effort as she rips apart a family’s security.
Despite the story line’s occasionally questionable progression, the score helps drive the film. The music not only portrays the thoughtful, melancholy tone of the story as a whole, but also helps to portray character depth. Music acts as a connector and explanatory device for larger themes of maturation and following your heart.
While “Breathe In” occasionally struggles to preserve realism and empathy in its characterizations, overall the film manages to reinvent an overworked plot by reserving judgments for the audience rather than informed opinions by Doremus himself. A beautiful location, actors and score all lend themselves to moving along a story with an expected path, giving the film leeway to be somewhat predictable yet moving.
Doremus effectively centers the story less around romantic pairings than life questions plaguing the millennial generation and their parents in finding true happiness: expectations versus reality.
As “Breathe In” finishes full circle a year later with the Reynolds family’s annual photograph, Doremus leaves the audience with questions unanswered.