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House of Sand and Fog 2003 |
Review by Jonathan Cornwell |
Directed by Vadim Perelman
R, 126 min. (violence/disturbing images, language, sexuality) |
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Starring: Ben Kingsley, Jennifer Connelly, Ron Eldard, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Jonathan Ahdout, Frances Fisher
Producer: Michael London
Screenplay: Vadim Perelman
Cinematography: Roger Deakins
Distributor: DreamWorks Pictures
Released: 12.19.03 (Limited) |
Rating:
 (out of ) |
Vadim Perelman's directorial debut, House of Sand and Fog, is an impressive piece of filmmaking; rigorously faithful
to Andre Dubus III's novel, the film presents its characters as neither good nor evil, but instead as victims of a misfortunate
governmental mistake. The error centers around a quaint house, which is quickly taken away from an innocent home owner
and sold at auction to another advantageous buyer. Perelman simply portrays his characters as strong but flawed, seeking
their own form of justice for what they perceive as a rightful claim. Bolstered by some of the year's best performances,
House of Sand and Fog is a riveting examination of the American Dream in shambles.
The main characters are Kathy Nicolo (Jennifer Connelly), a woman whose home has been confiscated and put up for auction,
and Massoud Amir Behrani (Ben Kingsley), an Iranian immigrant who must work two jobs to support his wife, Nadi (Shohreh Aghdashloo),
and his son, Esmail (Jonathan Ahdout), who buys the house from the county far below its value. As Kathy continues her battle to regain her house, a deputy sheriff, Lester Burton (Ron Eldard),
befriends her efforts. Soon, after a few confrontations with Massoud, Lester's intimidation tactics backfire, as Massoud
steadfastly holds his legal claim on the house and prepares to sell it on the market for a considerable profit. While both
parties are both in the right, they react to each other's chess moves in the wrong, heightening tensions and setting the stage
for an explosive showdown.
What Perelman achieves here is a verisimilitude between Kathy and Massoud and their motivations. Kathy is broke and
living out of her car during the ordeal, desperate for legal assistance and driven to reclaim her only worldly possession.
Massoud sees this opportunity as the deal that will help his family regain its footing in a society that they were accustomed
to during his military career in Iran. He has legal backing, and his unsympathetic attitude toward Kathy's plight drives a stake
between him and his compassionate wife, who pities Kathy's position. Perelman goes to great lengths to provide equal time
and understanding for both characters, which results in an even-handed, fair film. It's rare to approach characters in this manner,
and is a big reason why the film is so meaningful.
Connelly, Kingsley, and Aghdashloo give stirring performances. Connelly's work mirrors her deeply convicted turn in
A Beautiful Mind, communicating the helplessness that a person in her position would undoubtedly feel. Kingsley's demanding
role reinforces his tremendous reserves as an actor, using his steely presence to evoke respect for his character. It's his
best work since Sexy Beast and one of his most heartfelt efforts of his career.
Aghdashloo gives one of the year's best supporting turns as the wife that attempts to bring peaceful resolution and sanity
to her husband's stubborn stance with Kathy. Together, they provide the impetus for Perelman's insightful screenplay.
House of Sand and Fog benefits from engaging cinematography by Roger Deakins, as the constant shots of fog
and forest act as a metaphor for the characters' clouded judgment and impulsive actions. Although the film is a moving
character study of tragedy, it is not at the level of a Mystic River or 21 Grams, which also take a bleak view of human
suffering, but with a much greater intensity. Perelman has fashioned an impressive motion picture, and he has certainly
reserved a place for himself for future films that demand a polished touch for deeply troubled characters. Any director that
can coax the performances from his actors as evidenced here deserves significant recognition.
© 2003 Jonathan Cornwell
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 | Masterpiece - Film perfection |
 | Excellent - A Must See |
| Good - Highly Recommended |
| Fair - Worth seeing |
| Average - Viewable, but not recommended |
| Below average - View at own risk |
| Poor - Avoid at all costs |
| Very poor - An embarassment to the film industry |
| Zero | Awful - One of the worst films ever made |
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