Phonearl Good start, but then it gets ruined

Sameer Callahan It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

Myron Clemons A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

Edwin The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

avik-basu1889 'House of Sand and Fog' is a very depressing film that revolves around a young troubled woman named Kathy and a down on their luck family of immigrants, the Behranis. The conflict between them arises out of a mistake on the part of the County and the tax department which end up having devastating consequences on the lives of these people.I think one of the main themes that gets explored in the film and what I connected with is how and the extent to which a sense of honour and self respect can drive a person's behaviour and make him/her stubborn. Kathy refuses to reveal her divorce and her sorry financial condition to her family because of this self respect. The Behranis at least at the initial stage of the film are putting on this facade of extravagance because of this self respect and because of their need and urge to not lose their honour in the eyes of society. The Behrani's had come to America with an idea of what the American Dream was about. The initial part of their life in America was spent in affluence and luxury. But even after their lives took a bad turn in a financial way, they feel the need to keep up this disguise of being a happy, well-to-do 'American' family. So much so that when Massoud tells his wife that they may have to move to a smaller, more ordinary house, it becomes a mentally shattering experience for her. In her eyes, moving to a new house, means going back to being an 'Arab' and relinquishing their new 'American'-ness. The sense of feeling like an outsider as an immigrant gets explored. On the other hand Kathy's problem lies in the shame of having undone the work that her departed father did on the house that she inherited. The film is an example of a director elevating a flawed premise through great storytelling. The tone that Vadim Perelman sets for the film is melodramatic. The dialogue is a bit theatrical. But Perelman remains consistent with that tone, so it didn't put me off. There are some great moments of visual flair like the scene where Massoud while he is checking out Kathy's apartment, notices a shining window in an otherwise pitch dark room, another great shot is the shot of Kathy in the bathtub with her reflection in the water. But what Perelman excels at the character scenes for the most part. He gets good performances out of the actors for the most.But the screenplay is a bit flawed in my mind which could be due to what's present in the book which the film is based on. The basic conflict that sets up the film is a bit unconvincing. Also the way the situations and circumstances constantly escalate in the last act of the film become increasingly bizarre, ridiculous and not believable. Perelman elevates this material by chewing the scenery a bit with his direction which in a way hides the weaknesses of the story.The acting for the most part is good. Ben Kingsley is powerful and commanding. Jennifer Connelly like she did in 'Requiem for a Dream' plays a broken character very well. Having said that there are a few scenes involving every actor that could come off as a bit fake, but I guess that goes along with the tone of the film. However Ron Eldard as the character of Lester was a bit boring. His characteristics, his mannerisms and his actions range from bland to really off-putting and maybe the writing has a lot to do with it.'House of Sand and Fog' is a depressing, heartbreaking film. It is not a great film in any sense of the word. It has a lot of screenplay and writing issues which may have their source in the original novel in terms of realism. It is a good exploration of pride and honour. But it's still certainly worth watching for the direction, the acting and the themes. Recommended.

Kirpianuscus story of a tragical clash. between to manners to define the life. different at first sigh. results of same need of certitude. a bitter film who, long time after its end, remains present for its special mixture of emotions. because the stories of characters has universal resonance. because, more than drama of a young woman and the desire of Iranian officer to create a better future for his family, important is the theme of house as symbol of the fights against each of them of lead characters. and that is the key - the admirable acting of Ben Kingsley and Jennifer Connelly. the tension. the war. the meetings. and the energy to preserve the certitude. one of films who impress for the definition of basic ingredients of life. for the inspired way to present the details and nuances. for subtle image of fall.

Python Hyena House of Sand and Fog (2003): Dir: Vadim Perelman / Cast: Jennifer Connelly, Ben Kingsley, Ron Eldard, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Frances Fisher: Sad and depressing film regarding consequence. It regards what we base our life upon and whether it is worth the consequences that resolve the plot here. Perhaps all would be well had Jennifer Connelly just opened her darn mail but she is depressed after losing her husband and drowning herself in alcohol. She gets evicted and discovers that she owes money but her house was marketed away to a foreign family. She decides to fight to get it back and that is where the problems begin. Much of this could have been avoided if two of the principal characters were not such morons. The ending is unnecessarily tragic and could have been avoided if common sense was used. Directed by Vadim Perelman and starring Connelly who is a wonderful actress but she sustains no sympathy here. It is clear that she suffers depression from a previous relationship but her oversight is practically laughable. Ben Kingsley steals the film with a powerful performance and a reasonable fight. Ron Eldard plays a married cop involved with Connelly who will leave his wife for delusions and pigheaded decisions. Shohreh Aghdashloo plays Kingsley's kind wife who must suffer it all. It may cause viewers to look before they leap because the way may be foggy. Score: 6 / 10

Alex This is the first time I have written a review on this site, which may give some indication of the emotional force of this movie. Only the hardest and most resolutely cynical of hearts will not be moved. It is a tragedy worthy of Shakespeare or Sophocles - as has already been stated by many reviewers; like those epic and operatic tragedies one needs apply a little suspension of disbelief to immerse oneself fully in the narrative.OK that aside it was just good but could have been great. Maybe because it was based upon a bestselling novel the material was handled lazily, there were many instances where I found myself irritated by the logical inconsistencies that could have been easily managed,which proved ultimately to be an unnecessary distraction. As a lawyer I found the legal advice given to Jennifer's character utterly irresponsible - to suggest that following the sale of a house at auction there was a good chance that she could recover the property within two weeks because of a clerical error with the local authority was shocking both from a legal and commercial perspective and totally inconsistent with the facts. Jennifer's character was irrational and tragic enough to have been presented clear competent legal advice and still held our sympathy. For a movie with this budget they could have got professional advisers to assist. It misled the audience, which created a distorted perception of the parties rights and plights and thereby distorting our sympathies.I also found it a little incredulous that the female protagonist would fall so quickly and easily into the arms of the field training officer I would like to have seen that from a slightly different angle "the accidental femme fatale" in her lack of legal insight genuinely believing that he could be a knight in shining armour - instead we were presented with this unconvincing and bizarre chemistry.We arrive at the story where she had been dry (off the booze) for eight months so how did she miss the business tax demands and letters piling up on her doorstep - that was never fully explained - was it her husband who racked up the tax liability? I couldn't work out how the repossession notice came about and who was ultimately responsible and the tax liability and the nexus between the two - a little more attention to detail would have saved a lot of unnecessary head scratching as whilst this may sound like a lawyer nit picking they were actually central to the plot and where our sympathies fell.7/10 I think is a fair score but it could have been a 9/10 with a little extra effort.