HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG (2003) / ** 1/2
Directed by Vadim Perelman. Screenplay by Perelman and Shawn Lawrence
Otto, based on the novel by Andre Dubus III. Starring Jennifer Connelly,
Ben Kingsley, Ron Eldard. Running time: 126 minutes. Rated AA by the MFCB.
Reviewed on February 7th, 2004.
By SHANNON PATRICK SULLIVAN
Synopsis: Troubled Kathy (Connelly) is wrongly evicted by the county from
the house she inherited from her father. Policeman Lester (Eldard) falls
in love with Kathy and vows to help her get her house back. But meanwhile,
the house is purchased at auction by Behrani (Kingsley), a former air
force general who fled Iran and now works two jobs to support his family.
Review: There are two things wrong with "House Of Sand And Fog" and
unfortunately, no matter how masterful the rest of the production is, they
are enough to significantly downgrade my overall appraisal of the film.
The first problem is that there's a hole at the centre of the movie, and
that hole is the house itself. Logically, we understand why it's so
important to both Kathy and Behrani -- for her as a link to her father,
for him as an opportunity to secure a future for his son. But I never
found myself convinced of the emotional stakes: it was too much a case of
the script telling, and not enough of the movie really showing. The
second, more serious, miscue is the final act. To that point, "House" is
built up as a monumental interpersonal struggle between two individuals
who, in their minds, are both in the right, and the greyness of the
conflict is one of the movie's crowning achievements. Yet the final half
hour is little more than a descent into increasingly hysterical melodrama
which scarcely does the premise justice. That's a shame, because "House Of
Sand And Fog" boasts several excellent performances -- especially
Kingsley, who brings both a gentle nobility and an ironclad rigidity to
Behrani. It also features nice, moody direction from first-timer Perelman.
Yet, in the end, this is a movie which seems less than sum of its parts.
Copyright © 2004 Shannon Patrick Sullivan.
Archived at The Popcorn Gallery,
http://www.physics.mun.ca/~sps/movies.html
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X-RT-RatingText: 2.5/4
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