HOUSE OF SAND AND
FOG
Starring:
Jennifer Connelly, Ben Kingsley, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Jonathan Ahdout, Ron
Eldard and Frances Fisher
Director:
Vadim Perelman
Running Time:
126 mins
Out to buy on DVD 23/08/04
"This is my house and you stole it from me"
Kathy
When recently divorced Kathy (Connelly) is wrongly evicted from her home, the Behrani family buy the property at auction. A former Iranian colonel, Massoud (Kingsley) sees the house an opportunity to make some money to pay for his son Esmail's (Ahdout) university education and gain the respect of his community. Kathy doesn't take too kindly to this, as she now has nothing, becoming desperate to get the house back that her father left her in his will.
A first time director and an outstanding cast bring a real potboiler to the screen. As the tension builds and the desperation sets in, Ben Kingsley and Jennifer Connelly show you what pure, natural acting is all about as they effortlessly convey the torrent of emotions felt by their characters. This is truly captivating, grabbing your attention and not letting go until the dramatic conclusion.
Jennifer Connelly proves again that her Oscar win wasn't just a one off with another powerhouse performance. She brings a real sense of desperation to the character of Kathy, as her world starts to collapse around her. Her conveys her plight with a completely natural performance; effortlessly drawing into her situation and making you really feel for her as the connection to her beloved house is dramatically cut.
Master actor Sir Ben Kingsley is totally believable as Colonel Behrani, a man who has lost all his dignity and his position of respect after the collapse of the Shah's rule in Iran. This is Kingsley at his very best and most powerful. While you may think he is the villain of the piece, you soon realise that this is a man that is just trying to do the best for his family's future.
As well as the outstanding two leads there is also great support from Shohreh Aghdashloo and Ron Eldard. In her first English-speaking role, Shohreh Aghdashloo shines as Nadi Behrani, the Colonel's wife who is having trouble adjusting to her new life in America and social class. She excels in the scenes with Jennifer Connelly, truly conveying fear as her lack of English leads her character to believe that she could be deported. Ron Eldard is one of those actors who you always recognise but can never quite put a face to put this is a role that you should remember him for. As the hapless local deputy Lester, a man trapped in a loveless marriage that sees Kathy as his path to happiness, he finally gets the chance to grab some of the recognition he deserves.
First time motion picture director Vadim Perelman makes the move from commercials to the big screen very successfully. He has a good understanding of tension and gets the best out of his very strong cast. He does tend to overuse James Horner's haunting but slightly familiar score a tad to often and he has a real zeal for showing fog rolling into the bay but this a very solid start that will make him a director to watch.
'House of Sand and Fog' is a slow burner that builds into a raging inferno of emotion and tension. With excellent performances from the two leads and outstanding support form Shohreh Aghdashloo and Ron Eldard, this is a movie that will stay with you for a very long time.
Audio commentary, Deleted scenes, 'Behind The Scenes' featurette, Audition tapes & Photo gallery
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