House of Sand and Fog (2003)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

Vadim Perelman

Writers (WGA):

Andre Dubus III (novel)
Vadim Perelman (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

26 December 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Some dreams can't be shared.

Plot:

An abandoned wife is evicted from her house and starts a tragic conflict with her home's new owners.

Plot Keywords:

House | Auction | Fog | Home | Marriage

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 7 wins & 16 nominations

Cast

Jennifer Connelly	...	Kathy
Ben Kingsley	...	Behrani
Ron Eldard	...	Lester
Frances Fisher	...	Connie Walsh
Kim Dickens	...	Carol Burdon
Shohreh Aghdashloo	...	Nadi
Jonathan Ahdout	...	Esmail
Navi Rawat	...	Soraya
Carlos Gómez	...	Lt. Alvarez
Kia Jam	...	Ali
Jaleh Modjallal	...	Yasmin
Samira Damavandi	...	Little Soraya
Matthew Simonian	...	Little Esmail
Namrata Singh Gujral	...	Wedding Guest (as Namrata S. Gurjal-Cooper)
Nasser Faris	...	Wedding Guest (as Al Faris)

MPAA:

Rated R for some violence/disturbing images, language and a scene of sexuality.

Runtime:

USA:126 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Persian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:12 (video rating) | Iceland:14 | USA:R (certificate #40189) | South Korea:15 | Portugal:M/12 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Canada:14A | Chile:14 | Czech Republic:15 | Finland:K-15 | Germany:12 | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:15 | Singapore:M18 (re-rating) (uncut) | Singapore:NC-16 (edited for re-rating) | Singapore:R(A) (original rating) | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 (canton of the Grisons) | UK:15

Filming Locations:

San Francisco, California, USA

Company:

DreamWorks SKG

Trivia:

Numerous location shots in Northern California establish the action as occurring in the San Francisco Bay Area. The actual house was over 400 miles away, in Malibu.

Goofs:

Continuity: The morning after Lester and Kathy arrive at the cabin, Kathy emerges from the front door and her long hair is tucked into the back of her shirt. A moment later, it is loose.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Officer at End: Are you Kathy Nicolo?
Kathy: Yeah.
Officer at End: Is this your house?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Simpsons: Wedding for Disaster (#20.15)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

Soghati

A desperate masterpiece

This film is based on Andre Dubus III'S acclaimed novel "House of Sand and Fog". Dubus created a story of immense power about cultures and the gap between them, about human pain, about hope and ultimately about humanity and sometimes its tragic loss. Colonel Behrani (Sir Ben Kingsley) and his family, buy a house on the fictional area Pacific County, intending to ameliorate their lifestyle, as they have been banished from their home country, Iran. However, the previous owner of the house, a depressed young woman and recovering alcoholic, Kathy Lazaro (Jennifer Connelly), turns up and reclaims her property, which was taken from her because of a bureaucratic error. And when Kathy's boyfriend, Officer Lester Burdon (very effectively performed by Ron Eldard), a racist obsessed with the concept of justice decides to help her, all hell breaks loose. I cannot speak of the plot any further without spoiling it, so I will stop here. How can one tell a story and be more than a mere narrator? How can a book be adapted to film, without merely repeating what the book itself says? Not only does newcomer director Vadim Perelman answer this question, he gives us one of the best films of the past decade. Perelman doesn't waste a single detail. Everything is brought together to create an astonishing emotional impact. Like great directors such as Tarkovsky have done, Perelman approaches his every character and pierces through her/his soul. Every scene takes you deeper and deeper into the soul of the characters, without ever being slow moving or over descriptive. As for the performances, what can I say? Rarely if ever has a single performance moved me as much as Kingsley's. This gigantic actor delivers one of his best performances to date, he has immaculate control over every single aspect of his character, physically and emotionally. Connelly, one of the most talented actresses working today, is also breathtaking, creating a performance that is a quiet outburst of pain and regret. Shoreh Aghdashloo, portraying the most tragic character of the film (at least this is my view of her character), is heartbreaking. This is acting in its supreme form, I really don't think it gets better. She truly deserved an Oscar for this. Young Jonathan Ahdout is also excellent, we will definitely be seeing more of him in the future. However, I must warn you: If you are going to see this movie, prepare for an emotional breakdown. It is really one of the most devastating films of the past years and if you'd rather see a pleasant film, this isn't for you.