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Reviews of Recent Independent, Foreign, & Documentary Films in Theaters and DVD/Home Video
HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG
Dumped, divorced, and depressed, Kathy (Jennifer Connelly) is wakened from her
reclusive stupor when she receives notice she will be evicted from the house
she inherited from her father. Iranian immigrant Behrani (Ben Kingsley) snaps up
the property at a bargain and plans to sell it at a large profit. With this money, he
hopes to give his aristocratic wife the life she had been accustomed to in Iran. The
film heavy-handedly parallels Kathy and Behrani’s lives: homeless, she washes herself in
a restroom, while he also grooms himself in a public bathroom before entering his
upscale apartment building he can ill afford. They even make whoopee at the same
time. A cop, Lester (Ron Eldard), who had served Kathy the eviction notice,
reenters her life, offering to help her reclaim her home. She takes refuge in a cabin with him, and soon he is promising her he will
leave his wife and kids. His is the third family that will disintegrate. Together Kathy
and Lester take solace in deriding the immigrant family, with Kathy
noting that the wife hardly speaks English. Symbolically, the darker the plot
becomes, the thicker the surrounding fog. Eldard has the most difficult role, as
the instigator to the film’s tragedy, but his performance lacks the hateful anger or
the relish that comes with the power of a gun. But the uniform does make the man
- Kingsley is resolutely determined and proud. Connelly hits the right moments
emotionally. However, her regality shines through, making her not quite believable
as a cleaning woman. And as Kathy and Behrani’s story lines collide, the film
takes an unbelievable turn - an Ugly American version of The Desperate
Hours. Turning into a twisted pretzel, House of Sand and Fog
becomes a melodrama straining to make its point. KT
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