Rating: 
Summary: Lesson Learned ! Open Your Mail....
Review: House of Sand and Fog is one of those rare films to put the shock into anyone's system in recent years; It did me. I recently saw this film and many audience members gasped and were stunned by several emotionally charged pivotal scenes. House of Sand and Fog is full of suspenseful steam. Stunning performances by Ben Kingsley and Jennifer Connelly and supporting cast are phenomenal. This is a highly charged film with enough seething psychological and emotional action ! Cinematography of panoramic proportions and filming techniques of the beautiful California coast and sky is simply breath taking but naturally overshadowed and marred by the devastatingly serious nature of the film.In sum,a young California woman is incorrectly evicted from her home due to business property taxes processed which she did not owe. Failure on her part to open up the mail (notices/warnings) from the property county assessor's office lead to Connelly's character pursuing legal action but to no avail. House is auctioned and a Middle Eastern retired military officer (Ben Kingsley) and family purchase home for a 1/4 of what it is worth to live out the American dream.The house may be their permanent residency or it may become a "transitional" home. Soon, there is a tumultuous tug of war between evicted home owner and new occupants the likes that make the battle between the Hatfields and McCoys seem like a family reunion ! Events, tempers, emotions flare to astronomical and disastrous horrific proportions pushing all parties concerned to the edge of madness and the point of no return. Just when there seems to be the least bit of glimmer of hope for compromise, well, you get the picture. The tumultuous battle begins to take its toll on both parties involved and the people around them... Critics are right; there are no villains, heroes or heroines ...Just human beings trying to make sense of the madness that certain events life may throw at them while also trying to survive unscathed. It also raises a very powerful question ; How far is anyone willing to go to hang onto or protect what they believe or know is rightfully theirs (not just in the sense of owning a home but on anything in one's life, material or otherwise) ? Viewer sympathy will be split for both sides. I have never read the book from which the film is adapted from, so I cannot critique as to how faithful the film is to the novel. Is this Oscar material (acting, best picture) ? Absolutley, no question about that. House of Sand and Fog will stay with you for some time to come and make you ponder and ask that raw question of "What would I do?"...
Rating:
Summary: A Shakespearean Drama
Review: I read this book a few years ago and remember vowing to myself that if a movie was made - and the book was too good not to be snatched by Hollywood - I would never see it. Why? You know the drill. Movies are never as good as the good books they portray. I mean...almost never. What worried me about a movie adaptation of this book is that the story line has an amazingly subtle forward motion and tension. Long and short: the movie captured it brilliantly. Other reviewrs have summed up the plot, so I will defer to them. The only other new 'blurb' that I can offer in this review is that this movie follows much the same formula as Shakespeare's dramas (if you can call it a formula; maybe 'model' is a better word). None of the characters here are evil, sinister, or lacking of the viewers sympathy. All, however, have a tragic flaw, be it obsession with revenge, inabililty to adjust to a 'lesser' lifestyle, of the poor and rash judgment of sommeone newly in love after a 'dry spell'. Keeping with the Shakespeare 'model', these tragic flaws build up into a tense web, untill a climax is reached that will set your heart reverberating. But, like Shakespeare, the 'dark' ending is so engrossing that it is tolerable (whereas a lesser cast and crew would've made it seem pouty). Simply put, well done. My skepticism as to quality adaptations of books into film has been allayed.
Rating:
Summary: Tragedy of the Dispossessed
Review: The Dispossessed
Early into the film I said to myself, "This is not going to end well." This movie, while dark, is deeply laden with symbolism and pathos and a relentless sense of impending doom. More than just a lament of the human condition, this is a meditation upon possessions and the fear of losing them that drives many of us to desperation. The house represents many different things to the different characters, but trying to possess the house and protect it spells disaster for all - those who fight for it and those caught in the crossfire. The film borders on horror at times in that it exposes the fear and the despair that lead to murder and suicide. The Colonel is at once the most malevolent but also the most tragic figure here. He realizes his hubris, but only too late. How many of our lives are marked by lies, keeping up appearances and desperate acts. Watch this film for nothing else than the phenomenal performances to which the Oscar nominations should attest. These are the roles of their careers for Kingsley and Connelly. Not for those who like light, tidy cinema. This film is profound and tragic. Only Kathy walks away from the house any wiser.
Rating: 
Summary: INTENSE FILM, WITH FABULOUS CAMEOS FROM KINGSLEY + CONNELLY!
Review: Like Michael Caine, Ben Kingsley is a master of the unspoken. The subtleties of his facial expressions presented in moments of either joy or frustration are so masterfully restrained, it's a pleasure simply to watch him! In "House of..," he plays an ex Iranian militiary man now working menial jobs in the US. It's probably a predicament that we rarely think about -- perhaps we'd prefer not -- and it's certainly a subject that Hollywood would rather brush by. But Perelman's film, based on Andre Dubus III's 1999 best seller, not only corrects this social/artistic delinquency but does it in such a bold and imaginative way and with such driving force that "House of Sand and Fog" works as much as a potent entertainment as it does as a morality play. I haven't seen much of Jennifer Connelly before, but her absolutely knock-out presence on the screen as a murky character with an alcoholic past is dazzling. When the characters of Kingsley and Connelly finally clash halfway through the film, the film, having until then been a paean to silence and unspoken loyalties, becomes a terrifying thriller, riveting everyone with whom I saw the picture. Perelman moves from a mood piece to a suspenseful drama effortlessly. A jaw-dropping conclusion completes a powerful, unbelievably sad piece of work. It's a harrowing story, cathartic and elegant, beautifully filmed, stirringly told. It will toy with your emotions and work them into a frenzy. What a splendid accomplishment for a first-time director. Highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: gripping
Review: It has been a long time since I've been this emotionally involved in a movie. I'm usually the type to forget about a movie soon after watching it. But it's been several weeks since I watched it and I'm still inspired to write a review. Throughout the entire movie I found myself almost violently siding with one of the characters, and having to constantly switch camps. I left the movie emotionally exhausted. And just when I thought I was done, some casual comments from a friend got me thinking about it once more. :) As another reviewer mentioned; this is not at all a movie of special effects or overdone sets. The setting is simple and real. I wasn't sure if I liked the movie /only/ because of my 'immigrant' biases, but seeing other reviews makes me think not.
Rating:
Summary: A House Is Not A Home
Review: When I first heard about this movie I didn't want to see it. The story-line seemed too lite. I didn't think it would be able to sustain my interest. Then the reviews came in, and the public reaction, and the award nominations, and soon I had to see what all the fuss was about. Directed by Vadim Perelman "House of Sand and Fog" is an emotional and visual masterpiece. The movie doesn't just create characters, it breathes life into them and makes them seem real. The screenplay by Perelman and Shawn Lawrence Otto based on a novel by Andre Dubus II does something pretty fascinating. To give you a vague idea the movie has Jennifer Connelly and Ben Kingsley fighting over who is the rightful owner of a house. The house was given to Connelly after her father died, but, when back taxes are not paid she is evicted and soon the house is up for auction. It is Kingsley, an Iranian immigrant who buys the house. And so the feud starts. But, the movie is able to present both sides to us. We can see what the house means for both sides. For Connelly it's a rememberance of her past, for Kingsley it means looking forward to the future. Our emotions keep shifting back and forth. We feel sorry for everyone involved and after a while we don't know what to think. The acting in this movie has been getting a lot of attention, and righfully so, but as I watched this movie Roger Deakins' (who usually works with the Coen Brothers) cinematography caught my eye. He is able to get such beautiful shots along with David Stockton. But I suppose it is the acting that will get people into the seats to watch this movie. Connelly after her performance in "A Beautiful Mind" keeps up her winning streak. I can't reveal too much about her character other than saying she's a "lost soul". She just seems to be on the wrong track. To many it is a disappointment she didn't receive an Oscar nomination. Kingsley on the other hand is kind of the cliche "tough as nails" sterotype idea we have of the kind of character he is playing. But it is effective. Vadim Perelman has directed a powerful absorbing masterpiece. The movie seems real. When it was over everyone in the theather was kind of numb. As the credits rolled no one wanted to get up. We all just wanted to sit down and think about what we had seen. How many movies can we say that about? This is one of the best movies of 2003. Bottom-line: Easily one of the most powerful absorbing and interesting working in 2003. Wonderful performance given by this entire cast. Everyone shines. Perelman directs with a sure-fired hand. He bring these characters to life.
Rating:
Summary: Well structured and acted...
Review: There are two reasons to see "House of Sand and Fog." One is Jennifer Connelly's excellent performance. I have never been impressed by her before, but this turn proves that she is among our best dramatic actresses. The other is the story, which is well constructed, thought provoking, and moving. Although there are many movies out there about the down and out spiral of addiction, this has a slightly different take on the subject matter, and is as much about economic discrimination as addiction. Watching the film, I was struck by its realism. The characters, settings, and even small details are just right and have none of the over-the-top production flourishes that sometimes mar movies like this. This helps balance the melodramatic arc of the story. The characters look and behave like people you might know, and are driven by conscious and unconscious factors that will seem familiar. The movie respects human frailty, even as it acknowledges that it is these characters undoing. A good movie, well acted and structured.
Rating:
Summary: The house of sand and fog
Review: Easly one of the top 3 movies of the year. Excellent acting on all parts espicaily that of Ben Kingsley also seen in Ghandi. A griping tale and definetly on my must see list.
Rating: 
Summary: Underwhelming
Review: I have to say, this is one of the few times I've walked out of a Ben Kingsely movie and been pretty much unaffected. He usually brings such overpowering presence to his films that everything else just kind of basks in his glory. While he does another excellent job in this film, I found that there were just too many unavoidable problems with the story, which was heavily reliant on cliche and formulaic movie making. It has a powerful message, but that message of uncompromising greed and desperate possession soon gets muddled in a plot rife with emotional chaff that blinds the viewer to any real impact. The story is emotional and powerful at first, but it soon becomes bogged down in an overwhelming sense of repetition and emotional boredom. Over and over again, we are reminded how desperate both situations are in, and how violent the situation could become. The two parties are at a stalemate, again....and again. It soon becomes monotonous. Even when the two loggerheads slam into each other, the effect lacks an impact, as the viewer feels we have been here before. While the story drags and loses itself in its own sense of self importance, the movie is made watchable by two very impressive performances. Ben Kingsely is his usual dynamic self, completely possessing a character and turning himself into a believably different person. Jennifer Connolly is getting more and more adept at the desperate beauty, alarmingly similar to her disturbing turn in Requiem for a Dream. The cinematography is also quite impressive, lending a moody mist to the eventually dreary storyline. However, the plot is simply too convoluted to really recommend, and the ending is too cliched and tragic to really inspire any kind of thought by the viewer.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome Film with Superb Acting
Review: Lets face it.Ben Kingley and Jennifer Connelly are great actors,but they sometimes take bad movie roles which make them look like crap,this film however is not one of them.This film is a great movie with a great script from Vadim Perelmen and I would recommend it any day.The film is about a recovering alcoholic named Kathy(Connelly) who loses her house due to what she calls a clerical error,but when an Iranian officer Amir Behrani and his wife and child see the underpriced bungalow he realizes he can make a couple quick fixes and sell it for much more money,getting back on the road to wealth.However at the same time Kathy finds an ally in the very cop who evicted her and they plot to get back to the house.A couple confrontations ensue between Kathy and Behrani and the film sounds like it could turn into a typical urban thriller,but the film goes much
deeper than that making you feel sorry for every single character in the movie,and the dialouge in the movie is great and is just like a Shakesperian tragedy in many ways.Enjoy!!!
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