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If you're tired of filling up on brain-dead popcorn movies and eager to sink your teeth into something meatier, this searing drama is just the dish for you. House of Sand and Fog is saturated with emotion and remains compelling from the first provocative scene to the last. Jennifer Connelly plays Kathy Nicolo, a recent divorcée and recovering alcoholic with an unhealthy attachment to the California beachfront home left to her after the death of her parents. A bureaucratic mistake puts Kathy's house on the auction block to satisfy a tax lien, and opportunistic Iranian immigrant Massoud Behrani (Ben Kingsley) snaps up the property. The balance of the film is devoted to the ensuing tug of war between Kathy and Massoud: To her, the house represents a safe haven; to him, it represents a simulacrum of the prosperity he and his family enjoyed in their homeland. Writer-director Vadim Perelman skillfully adapts Andre Dubus III's complex novel and manages to craft a gripping film without villains. Both owners of the house are flawed people trying to do their best, and each remains steadfast in the belief that the other's claim to the property is invalid. Connelly makes Nicolo an achingly vulnerable and emotionally fragile character. Kingsley, who received an Oscar nomination for his work, invests the former military man with just enough decency and humanity to offset his pride and arrogance. The most outstanding turn, however, is by Iranian actress Shohreh Aghdashloo, also nominated for an Oscar for her portrayal of Massoud's long-suffering wife. She is absolutely mesmerizing, and in a role that gives her only a few snatches of English dialogue. Unusually intelligent and supremely well acted, House of Sand and Fog will demand your complete attention -- and reward you with an unforgettable viewing experience. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

Russian filmmaker Vadim Perelman makes his feature-film debut with the psychological drama House of Sand and Fog, based on the novel by Andre Dubus III. Ben Kingsley plays Massoud Amir Behrani, an Iranian immigrant living the United States. Even though he was a high-ranking official in Iran, he works several menial jobs in order to provide his wife, Nadi (Shohreh Aghdashloo), and his son, Esmail (Jonathan Ahdout), with an apartment in California. He buys a California bungalow, thinking he can fix it up, sell it again, and make enough money to send Esmail to college. However, the house is the legal property of former drug addict Kathy (Jennifer Connelly). After losing the house in an unfair legal dispute with the county, she is left with nowhere to go. Wanting her house back, she hires a lawyer (Frances Fisher) and befriends a police officer (Ron Eldard). Neither Kathy nor Behrani have broken the law, so they find themselves involved in a difficult moral dilemma. Andrea LeVasseur

Time Magazine

As reversible misunderstandings grow into irreversible tragedy, it slowly dawns on you that this is a superior, heartbreaking film. Richard Schickel

Los Angeles Times

Its step-by-step tragedy is so ruthless in its unfolding, you may find yourself wishing it were less well done, that it left you some room to breathe. But House of Sand and Fog has a story to tell and it means to tell it, no matter what the cost. Kenneth Turan

New York Post

A grim, challenging movie that will amply reward audiences willing to go along with its ride into the dark depths of its characters' souls. Lou Lumenick

Product Details

• UPC: 678149097726
• Source: DREAMWORKS VIDEO
• Region Code: 1
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Sound: Dolby Digital, DTS 5.1-Channel Surround Sound, Dolby AC-3 Surround Sound
• Editions: Subtitled, Dubbed
• Time: 2:06:00
• Sales Rank: 13,976

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