House of Sand and Fog
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Movie Reviews of House of Sand and Fog
Movie Review: Tragic and unforgettable. This is a must see film.
Summary: 5 Stars
An utterly depressing but effective film that will have the viewer questioning their morals and that of society's. The film centres around 2 key characters. One is a troubled young woman who is wrongfully evicted from her home and the other is a determined Iranian immigrant who works as hard as he can to provide for his family. The two meet under unfortunate circumstances and unwillingly set off a chain of events that escalates into madness and tragedy. There are several victims in this film. The first being Connelly who is injustly thrown out in to the streets. The second is the determined Kingsley who is unjustly thrown into emotional turmoil by the thought of buying a house that rightfully belongs to someone else. The third is Kingsley's family, who after finding out what has occurred are thrown in to the chaos. And lastly, Ron Eldard, Connelly's only ally who becomes a victim of his consuming passion for her.
This film is dark and depressing and the characters are all gloomy adding a touch of pathos to the already somber tone of the film. As mentioned previously, it had me questioning my morals and at the same time, made me furious at society's lack of compassion and reason. Although the film is not based on a true story, you can see something like this happening in real life and the tragic characters are so expertly played by the actors, most notably Ben Kingsley, Jennifer Connelly and Shohreh Aghdashloo, that your heart goes out to every single individual in the film. Aghdashloo's performance as Kingsley's wife is especially spellbinding. Her facial expressions, her voice combined with her incredible performance haunted me for days. Her character is emotionally rich. She emanates kindness and grace and she is the most sympathetic character in the film. The scene (towards the end of the film) in which she awakens from a dream is so incredibly touching, it almost moved me to tears.
Brilliant performances, captivating characters and a compelling story makes this one of the most powerful film's I have seen in a very long time. It is highly recommended but a box of kleenix should be at arm's reach. This film is that effective.
Movie Review: A rare instance when a movie adaptation surpasses the book
Summary: 5 Stars
I remember reading Andre Dubus' "House Of Sand And Fog" a couple of years ago. While not among the best books I've ever read, I did find it to be an interesting and worthwhile read that stuck with me long after I finished the last page. And when I heard that it was becoming a movie adaptation my interest in the story was immediately renewed. Today I went to see it and can say without reservation that this is one of the very rare instances when a film version surpasses the novel. Ben Kingsley gives yet another superb performance in his role as Colonel Behrani. Equally as convincing is Jennifer Connelly who plays Kathy Nicolo, the desperate and determined woman who will stop at nothing to claim her house back which Behrani has purchased at auction price because she neglected to pay her taxes on it. Both Kingsley and Connelly are simply excellent in their roles. Ron Eldard plays Sheriff Lester Burdon, a cop who is unhappily married and starts an affair with Kathy, taking her under his wing and promising to get her house back. I found Eldard's performance to be a little wooden at times but for the most part he pulled it off well.
The same amount of praise also goes to director Vadim Perelman and the rest of the crew who worked behind the scenes to give "House Of Sand And Fog" the perfect atmosphere and setting. The house used in the movie was EXACTLY how I had envisioned it as I read the book.
It should also be noted that this movie adaptation remains very faithful to the book with the exception of the ending which was a little different. For example, those of you who have read the book will notice that Behrani doesn't try to strangle Kathy in this movie version. There are other minor differences, especially during the final minutes, but to reveal them would give away the ending for those not familiar with the story.
To sum up, "House Of Sand And Fog" is definitely one of the better movies to come out this year that offers both a good story and great acting. Don't expect a happy ending because there is none; this story is about tragic people making tragic decisions. But it's an engaging plot nonetheless. Highly recommended.
Movie Review: beautiful tragedy
Summary: 5 Stars
A film by Vadim PerelmanIn the preview for this movie we see Ben Kingsley say "Things are not as they appear", and this is a line that is both appropriate for the scene in which it is said, but it is also a perfect line to describe this movie. Things are not as they appear. The preview for "House of Sand and Fog" gives us what we need to know to go into the movie. We learn that Kathy (Jennifer Connelly) has been evicted from her house and that Behrani (Ben Kingsley) was able to buy it a very cheap rate because it was put up for auction by the city. We learn that Kathy's home should not have been put up for auction and that the city made a mistake. We learn that there is going to be something of a confrontation between Kathy and Behrani. That's all we need to know to set up the movie, but as Behrani said, "things are not as they appear."
The movie we see from the preview is simplistic. The cast is excellent, but we have no clue about the depth that this movie has in its performances and in the story itself. The preview suggests that Kingsley will be the bad guy, but the relationships are much more complex than that and when we learn more about Behrani and his situation and his family, it is impossible to view him as a villain, nor do I think he is intended to be so. The entire story centers around the house and the desire to own this house, Kathy for herself and her ties to her family, and Behrani for his own. Things are not as they appear.
Considering the fact that this is a film by a first time director, I was astounded by how good it is. I didn't have very strong expectations when I started watching it, but I was stunned by its power and heart and the tragedy implicit in "House of Sand and Fog". The movie also features a heartbreaking supporting performance by Shohreh Adghashloo as Behrani's wife Nadi.
I do not want to praise this movie too highly lest I raise expectations to a level that cannot be met. I would recommend this movie to anyone, and would say only to expect a good movie with excellent performances, and that this is a beautiful tragedy of a film.
Movie Review: Sadness and Inspiration
Summary: 5 Stars
House of Sand and Fog is a remarkable film. It's beautifully filmed and scored, the cast is extremely strong, and the graceful, painfully real story makes for one of the most compelling movies I've seen in a very long time.The central conflict revolves around the ownership of a very ordinary house. Purchased through 30 years of her father's labor, Jennifer Connelly is very good as the depressed, lost young women who loses possession of the family home through bureaucratic error and her own neglect. Ben Kingsley is phenominal as the head of a displaced Iranian-American family who then buys the house at auction.
What follows is a harrowing story of real people all trying to achieve some degree of fulfillment and security each seemingly at the others expense. We understand and empathize with both Connelly and Kingsley. At the same time, we are made painfully aware of the pulsing, deeply flawed humanity of each.
It's very rare to come across such a richly human, character driven film these days. House of Sand and Fog should have garnered much more attention at the Oscars. I'm a great admirer of Sean Penn. His performance in the much flashier Mystic River is tremendous. But Kingsley's reserved, taut, understated performance here might very well be the greater accomplishment.
The Iranian actress playing Kingsley's wife is exquisite. The young man playing their son is perfectly cast. Ron Eldred, a quirky, appealing actor, completes the central cast as the insecure, confused deputy sherrif. A fear driven, self-centered, weak man, he becomes the catalyst that drives the conflict into the realm of tragedy. The plausibility of such a character in the real world is the most chilling aspect of the film.
I really can't say enough about this movie. Yes, it is one of the saddest films I've ever seen. But oddly enough, the end result for me wasn't depression or feelings of futility. Rather, it left me with a pointed appreciation of the fragility and variety of human life, the importance of such overlooked concepts as faith and love, and the precious beauty of the world around us.
Movie Review: A brilliant masterpiece
Summary: 5 Stars
After this movie, all I thought was wow. WOW. That describes how unbelievably good this movie is. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King over this gem? Is that a joke? How didn't this even get nominated? Sean Penn over Ben Kingsley? Now that is pathetic! Sean Penn's accent is so thick you can barely even understand what he's saying!
Ben Kingsley here has given one of those unforgettable performances you'll never see again. His performance is to me the 2nd best ever behind Billy Bob Thorton in the unforgettable Sling Blade.
This gem is one of the most tragic ever and in the end, well, I was crying. I felt demolished and I was so sucked in by this masterpiece that I wanted to kill certain characters.
This is the first movie that I've seen with Ben Kingsley and I can't belieeve how remarquable he is! Gene Hackman is nothing compared to this man. He put all of his emotions into this movie and made me feel for him. Hands done, this is the saddest and most tragic movie that I have EVER seen.
Now for the plot. Kathy (Jennifer Collony) is a young lady living in California. She's got a nice house and a good life (or so we're led to believe). That soon changes though when her house gets reposessed because of not payed taxes. She is furious at these "false?" accusations. While she's trying to get it back, enter an Iraqui man, ex colonel and his wife and son. He buys the house at a very low price to make a huge profit. His family is living a wonderful and sweet life, and their tradtions are adorable.
But, lil' Kathy here is still mad. And her wonderful body has attracted a police officer. And he's following here complete orders.
What follows is a gem of a movie carried by Ben Kingsley's masterful perfomance. This is one of those rare movies that come along once in a decade. So, please tell your friends and everyone you know to watch this wonderful gem. Its box office is lousy, much like every masterpiece, besides Titanic of course. (I'm just joking, I hope you realized that, Titanic is horrid)