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There is a Bible verse about building a house on shifting sand, and this act prevents the house from being sturdy and standing against adversity. In House of Sand and Fog_ one wonders just what foundation is under this house because whoever the owner, there are always personal problems. The view from the house along the West Coast is spectacular, and this may prevent the occupants from looking within them to see what part they have in their dire situations. Thus is the theme of the popular novel by Andre Dubus III, and so goes the film, directed by first-timer Vadim Perelman. This reviewer had read the novel, and the film mostly follows the book.

House of Sand and Fog begins with Kathy (Jennifer Connelly), minus a husband, being evicted from the house she inherited from her father. Kathy's family still thinks the husband is there, and this dilemma causes a problem when the mother announces her visit in 18 days. In the meantime, Kathy is frantically trying to get the house back, combining efforts with her attorney, Connie (Frances Fisher) and later, a helpful and too friendly deputy sheriff, Lester (Ron Eldard). Kathy moves to a motel and stores her possessions, and when she can't pay her bill, lives out of her car and finally in a cabin provided by Lester. Also, in the meantime, there is Behrani (actually Colonel Behrani, late of the Iranian Air Force and played magnificently by Ben Kingsley), his wife, Nadi (Iranian actress Shohreh Aghdashioo) and son, Esmail (newcomer Jonathan Ahdout). The Behranis are American citizens, and at the end of their savings. The family doesn't know the colonel works two menial daytime jobs for money. He buys Kathy's house at a county auction and moves his family in. Thus, the colonel and Kathy meet. It seems the county illegally sold the house, but the colonel won't budge and Kathy is impatient to let the law proceed at its own pace. Lester decides to help Kathy with strong arm tactics against the Behranis, and things start to escalate. The colonel can take care of himself, too, thank you.

The film belongs to three people, and one of them is photographer Roger Deakins. His visceral vistas of the coastline and cloud formations fit with what is happening in the drama, and folks, this is, indeed, a drama. Ben Kingsley plays Colonel Behrani with spare demeanor and military bearing in whatever he does. Here is a man who lost command and doesn't know what to command in his new homeland. On the other hand, Jennifer Connelly as Kathy-of-all-the-wrong-choices gives the camera many close-ups of weeping and defiance. It is hard to feel sympathy for anyone here, except Behrani's wife and son (both of whom give finely nuanced performances), and Lester's wife and children, who are drawn into something not of their making. For example, Kathy drives by her former house only to see men on the roof putting in a "widow's walk" balcony. She angrily tries to stop them, but ends up stepping on a nail and injuring her foot. Mrs. Behrani, not knowing who Kathy is, kindly takes care of the wound, but the colonel is later very angry with his wife, only adding to her stress at this new situation in her life.

The character of Kathy is actually a pathetic one. Here is a woman with self-esteem way down on the personality pole, a recovering alcoholic and ex-smoker, and decides to stand up for herself when it is too late. Lester wants out of a marriage and sees Kathy as his ticket to freedom. Colonel Behrani wants to reclaim the glory of his former life in Iran, but his attempts at capitalism are proving elusive in America. As these three people forge ahead, the rest of the Behrani family, plus Lester's family, are dragged behind. This roller coaster ride is on its way to oblivion. Roger Deakins is also a member of this group. His photography of the outside and inside of houses and offices brings the audience into the conflict. Here is no Hollywood glitz, but the everyday living of people. Wallpaper is faded, carpets are worn, motel rooms are bare, and cabins look bleak. At the end of the film, I felt as worn as the house of sand and fog and wondered what the future held for it, as it clings to a hillside. As for the characters, there will certainly be Oscar nominations here, including Kingsley, Connelly and Deakins.

Copyright 2003 Marie Asner
Submitted 12/17/03

Americans, they do not deserve what they have. They have the eyes of small children who are forever looking for the next source of distraction, entertainment, sweet taste in the mouth. We are not like them. We acknowledge opportunities when we see them and we do not throw away God's blessing.---Colonel Behrani, House of Sand and Fog

Vadim Perelman directs this story based on a novel of the same name about Kathy (played by Jennifer Connelly), a woman who loses her house to the county when she doesn't pay back taxes. Former Iranian Colonel Behrani (played by Ben Kingsley) buys the house in an auction as an investment property so that he can support his family without having to work two cheap jobs. The woman discovers that the house was wrongly taken from her, however, and with the help of Lester, a police officer (played by Ron Eldard) she endeavors to get the house back.

Ben Kingsley delivers what is arguably the best performance of any actor this year as a man who is trying to look out for the best interests of his family, but fears what the unpredictable Americans might do. As always, Jennifer Connelly nails her role, which is very similar to the part she played in Requiem for a Dream, except here she's a struggling woman who has (supposedly) recovered from alcohol and drug addiction. It is Ron Eldard whose acting is glaringly poor. In comparison to Kingsley and Connelly, Eldard sticks out like a sore thumb. It doesn't help that his character has very little development aside from poorly explained cliches.

Ultimately, it is in character development and plot that House of Sand and Fog falls apart. The Iranian family is well-developed which makes them much easier to relate to than the negligent American woman who lost her house by not reading her mail. Connelly does an amazing job considering the pathetic lip service that her back story is given. Eldard's character leaves his wife and two young children upon meeting Kathy, justifying it as something he would eventually do anyway. Yet another ugly picture of the irresponsibility present in these Americans.

The film's plot presents itself as being fairly realistic near the beginning, but as soon as Lester gets involved with Kathy, things get out of hand. The death of the film comes in the illogical plot twists near the end, which make what could otherwise be a powerful character drama into a tragedy too ridiculous to be moving.

Trae Cadenhead 12/29/2003

Trae Cadenhead is a student at Union University. He is pursuing a Digital Media Studies major with a Film Studies minor and plans to become involved in film making following school. Trae also has an enormous interest in music. Along with writing for the Tollbooth, Trae maintains Loconotion (loconotion.surfhere.net), a digital archive of his thoughts on music and movies as well as a gallery of the art and video work he has done.
 

Kathy Nicolo and Massoud Amir Behrani are from two different worlds. She's a young woman living by herself in a life of apparent depression. He's an upstanding former military man who's giving his daughter away in a lavish wedding. Both characters, though, are hiding their shame, desperately trying to keep up appearances. Kathy avoids her inquisitive mother's phone calls, never admitting that her husband left her eight months ago. Behrani (he refers to himself by his last name) goes to his job as a highway worker dressed in elegant suits, so that his fellow Iranian expatriates won't know what he does.

The two cross when Kathy (Jennifer Connelly) is evicted from her home and Behrani (Ben Kingsley) swoops in to purchase it. He sees the house as his way back to respectability. He can fix it up, then sell it for far more than he paid. She, of course, is desperate to get it back, particularly when she finds out she was wrongfully evicted. The story isn't reduced to just simple conflict, though. This is much more of a character study, as we get to know these two figures and see them interact.

The only weak link in the film's narrative concerns a deputy sheriff named Lester (Ron Eldard), who inexplicably falls so madly in love with Kathy that he immediately leaves his wife and puts his job in jeopardy. It's an unfortunate twist in the story, as it undermines the stark realism of the film. We don't believe either the character or his motivations.

The rest of the acting is spectacular. Jennifer Connelly (A Beautiful Mind) gives another gripping performance as a young woman on the verge of a breakdown. It goes without saying that Ben Kingsley (Gandhi)  is fantastic. Yes, he's often called upon to play strong, "ethnic" men, but his rigid portrayal here is especially compelling. Mention should also be made for Shohreh Aghdashloo and Jonathan Ahdout as Behrani's wife and son. The latter has a couple beautiful conversations with Kingsley that made me wish he had a larger part.

The photography from ace cinematographer Roger Deakins is gorgeous. An early shot where he links Kathy and Behrani through similar compositions is a wonderful, early clue to what they have in common. Still, after a while the shots of the Golden Gate Bridge smothered in fog seem repetitive and not entirely applicable to the story. First-time director Vadim Perelman shows himself to be a master of working with actors, a facet that bodes well for his future.

House of Sand and Fog is not a movie for everyone. It has a rigor rare in Hollywood dramas. The movie is resolute in its portrayal, never softening the story or its characters for easy sentiment. This leads to a fantastic conclusion, where a simple declaration feels like a hard-won victory.  

J. Robert Parks  1/17/2004