Cheap House of Sand and Fog (DVD) (Jennifer Connelly, Ben Kingsley, Ron Eldard) (Vadim Perelman) Price

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Customer Reviews of House of Sand and Fog

The essence of the film is that Kath (Jennifer Connelly) owns a pleasant house located on the northern Californian coast. However, there is a mix up with taxes such that she is levied a $500 tax bill she should never have received. Yet to make matters worse, her personality is such that she rarely, if ever, opens mail and thus inadvertently ignores numerous reminder messages. Eventually, the house is sold from under her to an Iranian Colonel (Ben Kingsley) who has emigrated to America with his family to avoid retribution from the Ayatollahs. He buys the house for about a quarter of its true value and then commences proceedings to on sell the house for a tidy profit. With both parties claiming ownership, a series of events unfolds that seems to spiral ever downward.

The film's ending is tragic and reminded me in some ways of Shakespeare's King Lear where trauma is piled upon trauma. Certainly, do not see this film as an opportunity for light escape. But do see this film for its enthralling plot and its totally plausible characters. It is an injustice that this film has received so few Oscar nominations.

WHEW!!! One of the year's best without a doubt!!!
This is an emotionally wrenching movie...utterly fascinating and devastating. Some critics have blasted the movie for having an over-the-top or far-fetched ending. The ending is quite devastating, but it is totally convincing and earns its "tragedy" the old fashioned way...by making us care VERY much for the characters.

You probably know the basic plot. Jennifer Connolly, a recovering addict who is still in deep depression, has ignored pleas to pay taxes on the home she inherited from her father, and is suddenly evicted with no place to go. The house is bought by Iranian emigree (and former colonel and confidant of the Shah) Ben Kingsley, as a way of bringing his family a little closer to the American dream.

Kingsley has no idea the circumstances under which Connolly loses her house...he's got things pretty rough himself. Some early scenes in the movie beautifully show the dignity with which Kingsley endures two horrible jobs...working on a road crew and in a convenience store. This is a proud man, a formerly important one, who strives mightily to keep up appearances...not just for his own pride, but so that his daughter can marry well and so his son can go to university. He is a prickly man, no doubt, but noble.

Connolly realises that the house was really the last lifeline holding her to some semblance of sanity. She readily admits that she didn't even take good care of it, but upon losing it, she becomes obsessed with getting it back.

She is joined in this by the cop who initially helped evict her, played by Ron Ellard. He has his own problems, including what he considers to be a shaky marriage. His attraction to Connolly turns into an obsessive need to prove his worth to her by getting her the house back. No matter what!

I will say right here and now that this is the best acted film of the year. 21 GRAMS was no slouch in the acting department and MYSTIC RIVER was darn good too. But these performances totally drew me in. I found myself leaning forward in my seat in anxiety and empathy. My wife gasped several times during the viewing, as the inevitable tragedy began to unfurl. We both wanted things to change. We were INVOLVED.

Connolly is terrific as always. She's a beautiful, quiet actress, who has a few moments in this movie that are so raw and stunning...her reserve finally comes down a bit. The actress who plays Kingsley's wife (sorry, I don't have her name handy...my grievous error) is FABULOUS. She MUST get nomitated for an Oscar...and she MUST get more work her in the states. I was absolutely floored. And the young man playing their naive, noble son is wonderful as well. Torn between loyalties and eager to prove himself...he is a true heartbreaker.

Ron Ellard is fantastically unlikeable, and that's perfect for the movie. He holds his own quite well.

Ben Kingsley, in my opinion, deserves the best actor Oscar. His colonel has so many layers, but Kingsley lets us see them all, playing just below the surface. His character is the opposite of his explosive work in SEXY BEAST. There everything was on the surface...here it's hidden beneath his impossibly straight back and intense eyes. I've always liked him a lot as an actor, but this film, I believe, puts him on yet a higher plane. He is one of the greats!

GO SEE THIS FILM!!

bit slow and unlikely twist at end
pretty good film up to the end, then it takes a very improbable turn. (spoiler warning!) i realize that the story was meant to have a tragic ending, but i find it very hard to believe the son would really pull the gun on the cop. they should have tried to find a different (and more believable) ending. otherwise, not bad, though a little slow. well acted.