Rating: 
Summary: I loved the book. And I loved the film even more.
Review: The theme of this story is one of constant contrasts. Ben Kingsley stars as Behrani, an Iranian man living in California. He was wealthy in Iran and he and his family escaped with their lives. They've been in America a few years and the wealth they formerly had is fast being depleted. Behrani works at two jobs - a laborer by day and a convenience store clerk by night. He saves his money and buys a house at auction. He thinks his troubles are over. But they are just beginning. Jennifer Connolly is cast as Kathy, the young woman was evicted from the house that Behrani buys. She's been abandoned by her husband, works cleaning houses for a living, and just can't seem to keep her life together. She's also a former drug addict who is easily tempted by alcohol. Devastated by the eviction, she vows to get her house back. This is a perfect formula for trouble. The acting is perfect. And the direction and cinematography are excellent. Some of the shots were able to show in a few seconds what it took pages and pages to bring out in the book. It's an ultimately sad story and I remember how upset I was while reading the book. But watching the film, I actually wept. There's something about the media of film that could do that. The book had more detail and background. But ultimately, it's the story that touched my heart. Don't miss this film. It's a tear-jerker, but it is great!
Rating: 
Summary: Great acting but....
Review: The acting was quite good. However, the film tended to show "lazy Americans" who don't appreciate what they have and a hard working immigrant who deserves more. I think the film's "lazy American" was unrealistic. I also think the law enforcement officer's swing to the dark side for the girl was also too easy. I kept thinking "...when is this movie going to end?" Then, it ended. I'm not one who demands happy endings but this left too many loose ends. In conclusion, the film was well directed, and well acted. The Iranian father did a wonderful acting job. The story however, was too emotional and too unrealistic.
Rating: 
Summary: eh...okay
Review: I have to say this movie was well acted out. As far as the story goes, it didn't get interesting until the last 20 minutes of the film. Gee lets see how many lives this chick can destroy over 500 bucks. Most of the situations in this film are just plain unrealistic. That deputy must have been a real peach on his psycological exam. I wouldn't go out of my way to watch it again, and wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
Rating:
Summary: Powerful and Devastating
Review: One of the best films of 2003, HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG is one of those rare stories in which there is no good and evil and in the end no one wins. Ben Kingsley gives a typically masterful performance as an Iranian immigrant whose life goal is to provide the best for his transplanted family. To that end, he manages to secure a beachfront house, thanks in large part to the fact that Jennifer Connelly's character has lost said house in legal wranglings involving failure to pay taxes. The story unfolds from there, and ends with devastating consequences for all involved(and I mean ALL). Jennifer Connelly follows up her Oscar for A BEAUTIFUL MIND(she deserved a nod here as well) with another searingly understated performance--I would never have imagined ten years ago that this woman would be one of the best actresses working in film today, but she continues her upward career trajectory. And Shohreh Aghdashloo scored a much deserved Oscar nod for her equally understated performance as Kingsley's faithful wife. Ultimately, probably the best movie of 2003(every bit as good as 21 GRAMS), and criminally shut out of the Best Picture Oscar race.
Rating: 
Summary: Goodtime Happy Jamboree!
Review: Could this movie be any more depressing? I watched thinking "it can't get any worse" but I was continually wrong. The film itself is good, and the acting is superb. Jennifer Connelly and Ben Kingsley are amazing in their roles. Still, I never want to see this movie again. It's that sad. Glad I watched it, but I'd never buy it.
Rating: 
Summary: Collision of Cultures
Review: "House of Sand and Fog" is a classic Greek tragedy. It begins in order and ends in disorder. If you enjoy charater acting, intense drama, and don't require a happy ending, you may enjoy this film. The brilliant acting carriers the wearisome pathos of this dreary tale. Somewhere in the middle of the story, a small voice echoed in my mind, "Just shoot me.". Ben Kingsley is a compelling, proud Iranian Colonel caring for his family as best he can in a culture and country foreing to his own. His former life of rank and privelage stands in stark contrast to his current life of menial labor. But playing by the rules in America doesn't always mean justice prevails. For either party. The story ends in disarray. Death, sadness, loose ends, and aching aloneness press upon the heart as the final credits scroll by. For the beauty of the art of drama, the show demands a viewing. But there will be no happy ending here.
Rating:
Summary: Just the Tip of the Iceberg
Review: When I first watched House of Sand and Fog, I thought it would be a one-timer, that is, a one-time viewing. I even told my brother so as I removed the disk from the player and placed it back in the rental case. So why is it that this movie resonated inside of me and one week later I ordered it through Amazon? What made it a keeper? What compelled me show it to my girlfriend? It's not a high-concept movie. It's not loaded with special effects. It seems, at first, to be a Lifetime Saturday afternoon drama. It's about a house, wrongfully taken from the owner, Kathy, due to unpaid business taxes that she never owed. While she's attempting to cut through the bureaucratic red tape and get her house back, it is auctioned off at an alarmingly low price to ex-Colonel Behrani, who buys properties cheap and sells high in order to pay off his family debts. He's not a bad guy. He is just as needy as Kathy. I couldn't find a bad guy in this film, actually, with one exception, one that will become apparent when you see it. I've been hearing complaints that the movie doesn't reveal enough story information. That's what I loved most about it. It utilizes Hemmingway's Iceberg Theory: A piece of fiction should show 1/8 of the iceberg, leaving 7/8 to the imagination. As my girlfriend and I watched House of Sand and Fog, I leaned over and whispered my admiration for this aspect of the storytelling. She wasn't as impressed as I was, I don't think. She was not at all sympathetic to Kathy. She saw Kathy as a spoiled little girl who causes her own problems, whereas she completely sided with Behrani. I too liked Behrani, but subconsciously I filled in the details that allowed me to empathize with Kathy. I also wondered, "If Behrani is such a swell guy, why is it that his children will be shot if they return to Iran? What's the real story here?" I found our disparate emotional responses interesting: Both my girlfriend and I ASSUMED all the back story we needed in order to give us negative and positive reactions about the characters. But, if you are to simply look at the facts-the tip of the iceberg-there isn't enough information to make doubtless conclusions. We can gather that Kathy is depressed, her husband left her; she's the unsuccessful one in the family, her family doesn't take her seriusly, she doesn't feel comfortable asking for their help; she has struggled with smoking and alcohol in the past but has only temporarily won the battle. She's the "villain" of the piece; but I would rather call her the "antagonist," hardly evil. Her deceased father worked all his life to pay off the house. He left it in her name. It belongs to her--perhaps morally, if not legally. We can gather that Behrani longs for his home on the Caspian Sea but can't return, is terribly in debt, is violent (an infrequent wife-beater) under his hardworking exterior, is faithful, and is appreciative of what little he has. He's the "hero" of the piece. So why is it, in the end, he shows guilt and promises his god that he will give the young woman her house in exchange for [spoiler]? Deep down, did he feel he was the villain of this situation? These sorts of questions, although annoying to other viewers, inspired me. Ask them through moody moviemaking techniques and very good acting, especially on the parts of Ben Kingsly and Shohreh Aghdashloo (playing Behrani's wife), and you've got a film that resonates long after the credits finish rolling and your DVD main menu pops back up. I think you should watch the movie at least once. I wouldn't be surprised if, for you, it becomes a two-timer-or a five- or ten-timer or more. House of Shadows and Fog is an example of excellent filmmaking. Few special effects. Lots of special effort.
Rating:
Summary: Move of the year
Review: It's not a big leap to see "House of Sand and Fog" as the best movie of the year. But the Academy Awards have fallen to such an extent, that it's difficult to take them seriously anymore, unless you want to sift through the nominations for the real gold. Connelly, Kingsley, and Shohred Aghdashloo all give award worthy performances in a story that has, by its end, enough bodies tragically left on the stage to call up comparisons with Shakespeare or Euripedes. There are holes in the story - but there are holes in Lear for that matter. For example, Connelly's (Kathi Niccoli in the film) cop lover (Ron Eldard) is not to be believed in his stupidity. If his role wasn't so pivotal, it could easily be brushed off. Further, surrounded by the three main actors, he ends up looking like a deer caught in the headlights. Then there's the real estate question - it seems a bit of stretch in our super litigious society that a repossession and sale could occur so quickly given a cloud on the title...but I'm nitpicking. The overwhelming drama of the story far outweighs these problems. Connelly is superb as the vague and lost house cleaner Kathi. Her performance has the kind of nuance and depth that I didn't find in her Oscar winning effort in "A Beautiful Mind." At least Connelly is showing, unlike other recent babe winners (Berry, Roberts, Kidman), she has both the looks and the acting chops. Kingsley. What can you say? The guy is just a great actor who should have a row of Oscars by now. (To get a sense of his range, check out "Sexy Beast.") As the Iranian Colonel Behrani, Kingsley supplies a character that is proud (too proud as it turns out), a lover of tradition, but not so inflexible that he hasn't a heart when the moment calls for it. He is a good but flawed man who loves his family and is trying to do the best for them. And finally, there is Shored Aghdashloo's performance as Nadi, a good woman crushed by events. Nadi's struggles with the language, her kindness to Kathi, the love (and tension) that exists between her and her husband, are all finely balanced and incorporated into a real human being and not another Hollywood cut-out. (Boy did she get ripped off at the Oscars. I guess her name just wasn't zippy enough.) Essentially, the heart of "House" is found in the way these three great actors play off of each other. And it is something special to behold, turning the tragic wheel ever tighter as the movie progresses. The ending wasn't really a surprise - shock to me, but rather inexorable, much like Medea stringing up her kids.
Rating:
Summary: All this movies does............
Review: All this movie does is remind you.... 1)How unappreciative many Americans are of what they have in this country and take for granted. 2)That our immigration policy is all messed up. The producers and directors of this movie I would have to suspect are VERY, VERY strong liberal democratic supporters who like to portray how bad Americans are and how all immigrants coming to the USA are truly wonderful people with only noble intentions in mind. In this movie Jennifer Connely plays a bad example of an American citizen (ie.... lazy, unappreciative, too weak to overcome depression, negligent of responsibility, basically just a pathetic excuse for humanity) while Ben Kinglsy comes across as a noble, hard working and very ethical Iranian immigrant simply chasing the American dream with all good intentions. Okay... maybe it is just the timing during current world events, but I felt like I was being subjected to a political propaganda film disguised as art.
Rating:
Summary: The House of Ruined Dreams
Review: Moving, sad and enthralling movie is "The House of Sand and Fog".
Andre Dubois wrote the book and received over 100 offers for the movie rights. The movie does the book justice. The photography is
superb and the sand and fog surround the house and the movie. Jennifer Connelly follows up her Academy Award performance in another dark film- she is brilliant and believable. Ben Kingsley as always is so "right on" in his interpretation of his character. He is a fomer military man in the Iraq Army, and is ramrod straight and honest. He does not flinch, not once. Jennifer Connelly is removed from her family home for not paying a tax that turns out to be a mistake. Jennifer, it sems has given up drinking and is depressed and never opens her mail. Thus she never sees the bill. Once removed from her home, she is befriended by a local policeman who is lonely and feels sorry for her. This develops into a romance- the man is married and has children and all these lives become intertwined with despair and depression. Into this morass comes Ben Kingsley looking for a home to buy, to repair and sell at a premium. He and his family are living beyond their means- he is working at two jobs to keep up the facade. His plan is to move to the house while they are fixing it up and relieving himself of the stress of the bills and the many hours of work. He finds the ad for this home for sale at a very large discount- buys the home and then all hell breaks loose. The juxtaposition of his family heirlooms, gold and silver and glass in a seaside cottage gives the movie an unearthly feel. Jennifer and her policeman try to get the home back but their plans fall apart. Jennfier starts to slide down that ugly black hole, and all the lives involved fall apart. This is a breath-takingly beautiful movie- so well acted it is real. Academy Award performances abound in this movie. This is not a movie for the squeamish- blood and suspense are plentiful. Recommended highly! prisrob
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