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 House of Sand and Fog (2003)
Rated: R for some violence/disturbing images, language and a scene of sexuality.
Runtime: 120 mins.
Director: Vadim Perelman
Writer: Andres Dubus III (novel); Vadim Perelman and Shawn Lawrence Otto (screenplay)
Cast: Jennifer Connelley; Ben Kingsley....complete cast
Genre: Drama
Tagline: Some Dreams Can't Be Shared.
Memorable Quote: "It took my dad thirty years to pay it off. It took me eight months to screw it up."
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| Reel commentary: ...As the story unfolds, we notice Perelman's unique style with the grip he maintains on his audience....he manipulates our emotions, tossing them about, never allowing us to feel comfortable....full review |
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Confused about what happened in House of Sand and Fog? Click here to read the House of Sand and Fog plot explanation. (spoiler alert!)
by Frank Wilkins
A heavyweight contestant looking for a major-category sweep, House of Sand and Fog enters the 2003 Oscar race as first-time director Vadim Perelman joins forces with co-writer Shawn Lawrence Otto to masterfully adapt the best selling novel of the same name by Andre Dubus III.
One common shortcoming of many first time directors -- and veteran directors for that matter -- is an inability to successfully manage the talent without losing the handle on individual elements that tell the story. Success with one aspect more often than not leads to neglect of the other. With House of Sand and Fog , Perelman not only guides his stellar cast like a master helmsman but also unfolds Dubus's disturbingly sad story without overlooking the nuances that originally put the novel on Oprah's Book Club® list and ultimately on the New York Times Best-seller list.
This tragic tale unfolds from the viewpoints of two main adversaries, Masoud Amir Behrani (Ben Kingsley), and Kathy Nicolo (Jennifer Connelly). Masoud, now a U.S. citizen living in America, was a Colonel in the deposed Shah of Iran's inner circle. Kingsley captures Behrani's noble spirit - a man of honor, but desperate to maintain his former stature. Kathy is a recovering alcoholic, recently divorced and barely able to hold down a job. Connelley nails her performance, keenly displaying the self-destruction of a woman grasping for anything that might take things back to the way they were. Both Behrani and Kathy live troubled lives with plenty to hide and more to overcome.
Behrani, the father of two, just sunk most of his remaining money into a beachfront house so that he and his family might continue the dream of living and prospering in their newly adopted country. Problem is, the house of his desires was mistakenly put up for auction - illegally seized by the County from Kathy for unpaid back taxes. Both want the house and neither seems willing to negotiate. To the Colonel, the house is a toehold in the American dream. To Kathy, it's a link to her more stable childhood. What begins as a seemingly innocent legal snafu eventually escalates into a full-blown, hardheaded battle of wills with catastrophic consequences.
As the story unfolds, we notice Perelman's unique style with the grip he maintains on his audience. From a brewing sense of dread and misery highlighted by James Horner's foreboding score, to the love and comfort given by Behrani's wife Naderah (Shohreh Aghdashloo), Perelman manipulates our emotions, tossing them about, never allowing us to feel comfortable.
Although he knocked Dubus's 400-page book down to a 90-page script, Perelman still managed to keep the book's rich symbolism intact. He nicely blends Behrani's Old-world Persian influence with the spoiled, overly gratified nature of today's Americans. House of Sand and Fog is a deeply disturbing movie about two seemingly typical Americans – on the surface, not really that different from you and me – who run into a set of seemingly typical circumstances. Placed in the same circumstance, I would only hope for a different outcome.
Frank Wilkins
Review also posted at www.reeltalkreviews.com.
Confused about what happened in House of Sand and Fog? Click here to read the House of Sand and Fog plot explanation. (spoiler alert!)
Screen formats: Widescreen Anamorphic 1.85:1
Subtitles: English, Spanish, French; Closed Captioned
Language and Sound: English: Dolby Digital 5.1; French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Other Features: Color; interactive menus; scene access; director's commentary; deleted scenes; behind-the-scenes featurette; photo gallery.
- Commentaries: With director/screenwriter Vadim Perelman, actor Ben Kingsley, and novelist Andre Dubus as they discuss the typical commentary track stuff like inspiration, what ir was like working with each other, and the similarities of the movie to the book.
- Featurette:
- Behind-the-scenes featurette: Looks at the writing of the screenplay, production of the film and the inspiration of the novel.
- Deleted scenes and outtakes: 5 deleted scenes with optional director's commentary.Also included are Shoreh Agdashloo's audition footage, a photo gallery, production notes, and cast and crew biographies
| Jennifer Connelly ......... |
Kathy Nicolo |
| Ben Kingsley.......... |
Colonel Behrani |
| Ron Eldard........... |
Deputy Sheriff Lester Burdon |
| Shohreh Aghdashloo ........ |
Naderah Behrani |
| Ashley Edner ........ |
Bethany Burdon |
| Frances Fisher ........ |
Connie Walsh |
| Kia Jam ........ |
Ali |
| Navi Rawat.......... |
Soraya Behrani |
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