Grade:  B

Director:  Vadim Perelman		Released:  December 2003
Writer:  Vadim Perelman, Andre Dubus III		MPAA Rating:  R
Players:  Jennifer Connelly, Ben Kingsley, Ron Eldard		Running time:  126 minutes

Ratings System

This is one goddamn depressing film.  If you're looking to put yourself in a funk, go ahead and pop this DVD into your player.  There is no Hollywood Ending to be found here, that's for sure.

House of Sand and Fog is a character-driven film, very well executed.  The unique aspect is the way each of the two main competing parties is weighted equally for audience sympathy, all the characters have traits you like and traits you don't.  It's very fair, there are no real heroes or villains.  Which caused me to root for both parties at different times until finally I was praying for some kind of resolution that benefited everybody.  Of course, this being the saddest fucking film known to man, such a happy resolution never transpires.

Ben Kingsley kicks ass in this and every other role he plays.  He's doing the best work of any actor from his generation.  He is THAT GOOD; he is THAT INTENSE.  You go, Ben Kingsley!  Jennifer Connelly is good too, but at times I questioned whether she was miscast.  She seems a little too smart, a little too pretty, a little too able for me to fully accept her in the role.  On the other hand, Ron Eldard is cast perfectly in his role, portraying a fine mix of boyish charm and brute stupidity.

I imagine the novel this picture is based on is very good, and probably equally depressing.  Unfortunately, the film started to lose me at one point.  I won't reveal that event to prevent spoiling it, but it struck me as a little over the top and a little out of left field.  It didn't spoil my overall enjoyment of the film, so I'm willing to move on.

- crocoPuffs