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Jennifer Connelly, Ben Kingsley, Ron Eldard, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Jonathan Ahdout ... see more see more... , Frances Fisher , Kim Dickens , Navi Rawat , Carlos Gomez , Ken Kerman , Namrata Gujral-Cooper , Ashley Edner

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 Ira... read more read more...nian 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, Rovi

Flixster Users

80% liked it

40,824 ratings

Critics

75% liked it

169 critics

R, 2 hr. 6 min.

Directed by: Vadim Perelman

Release Date: December 19, 2003

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DVD Release Date: March 30, 2004

Stats: 2,570 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (2,570)

  • lewiskendell
    June 25, 2010
    lewiskendell
    "I have taken us so far off our course, but now it is time to return. It is time for us to go home to our destiny."

    There are no good or bad characters in House of Sand and Fog. Just a lot of flawed individuals who seem to unintentionally make matters worse at every turn. This i... read moresn't a feel-good movie, to say the least.

    The story is about a conflict over a house that is very important to several different people. The woman that it originally belongs to is wrongfully evicted from it, and it ends up being sold to an exiled Iranian man who needs the house as part of a plan to provide for his family. An unimaginable amount of conflict and tragedy ends up resulting from this unfortunate situation.

    I'm an avowed fan of these kinds of dour dramas. House of Sand and Fog has all the emotional power of a movie like Revolutionary Road or Little Children, without the heavy-handed preachiness of Crash. This movie isn't trying to teach you anything or tug on your heartstrings, it's just a well-told story about tragedy. Combine that with solid writing, a good score, and a great cast (lead by Jennifer Connelly and Ben Kingsley), and you have a movie that is a fine example of the drama genre.
  • fb619846742
    August 5, 2009
    fb619846742
    An extremely powerful film. Kingsley gives a performance that should be up with the bests of all-time, where Connelly, strikingly beautiful, gives an Oscar-worth one as well. A deep story that is rich in characterization as well as with things such as material possessions and how... read more much we place value in them. A heck of a depressing story with people who are extremely troubled and have very few redeeming qualities, but in the end it really makes you take a strong look on how much you place value on items, such as a simple house, and the effects these possessions can have on your life.
  • CloudStrife84
    July 19, 2009
    CloudStrife84
    Solemn and well-directed drama, about a family who gets in bitter conflict with the previous owner of their newly bought house. The first half is pretty slow, but it builds up tension well for what happens in the second, where things really shift into high gear. One thing I reall... read morey appreciated about the film, was the fact that it was very hard to predict the final outcome of the plot. That, along with its superb acting and refined script, makes it into an above-average drama, and one I'd gladly recommend. Be aware though that it's very tragic in tone. So if you're looking for something cheerful with a happy end, you may want to look elsewhere.
  • fernandorafael
    August 10, 2008
    fernandorafael
    Powerful and very sad, HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG is a tragic film, brilliantly directed by Vadim Perelman, in his debut. Both Jennifer Connelly and Ben Kingsley are amazing in their performances. Sir Ben would've been flawless if it wasn't for the whole hospital moment, which I found... read more very fake. Shohreh Aghdashloo was very good, too. The beautiful cinematography contrasts with the heavy, gloomy tone of the film.
  • puffchunk
    May 12, 2008
    puffchunk
    Yikes...very driving story of bad situations gone worse. Compelling from start to finish. Not to mention Jennifer Connelly is impossibly hot in it.
  • RCCLBC
    March 26, 2008
    RCCLBC
    This film sucked me in, chewed me up and then spat me out.

    I was left feeling drained and slightly depressed, but also very thoughtful about what I had just experienced. The sign of a great film in my book.

    If you like predictable heartwarming films, look elsewhere.
  • YLOWBSTARDreturns
    February 9, 2008
    YLOWBSTARDreturns
    Really, really sad.
  • jjnxn
    October 29, 2007
    jjnxn
    Beautifully acted, especially by Shohreh Aghdashloo, but so grim there is no real viewing pleasure
  • kiriyamakazou
    April 2, 2007
    kiriyamakazou
    Overrated and dull. Kingsley's accent is unintentionally hilarious. Connelly is brilliant in her role, but is an unlikeable charcter. Other than that it is a drama that fails to leave a lasting impression.
  • ceWEBrity
    January 23, 2007
    ceWEBrity
    Given all the ridiculously depressing roles she takes on (and with such aplomb!), I'm surprised that Jennifer Connelly is as happy a woman as she is.

    This movie is an absolutely superb drama with a massive moral question and no clear answer, leaving it up to the viewer to decid... read moree. The atmosphere is sad and oppressive and the performances are haunted.

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Critic Reviews

Mark Caro
February 4, 2004
Mark Caro, Chicago Tribune

You feel you not only know these people but where they come from. Full Review

Andrew O'Hehir
December 27, 2003
Andrew O'Hehir, Salon.com

If this movie isn't quite the contempo-Greek tragedy it wants to be, it's still a powerful, almost unforgettable meditation on fate, cultural collision and the morality of renovating a house that isn'... Full Review

Robert Denerstein
December 27, 2003
Robert Denerstein, Denver Rocky Mountain News

Meticulously acted and unafraid of a difficult subject, House of Sand and Fog resonates with a quality that can be vital to art -- a lack of moral rectitude.

Desson Thomson
December 26, 2003
Desson Thomson, Washington Post

The movie's intense watchability can be traced directly to superb performances by Jennifer Connelly and Ben Kingsley.

Mick LaSalle
December 26, 2003
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

House of Sand and Fog doesn't deliver on the gut level of contest, and neither does it offer any other terms in which it does deliver for the audience. Full Review

Joe Baltake
December 26, 2003
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee

A smart, moody film that achieves the delicate balance of having us care about all of its characters. Full Review

Carrie Rickey
December 26, 2003
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer

Remember the name Shohreh Aghdashloo ... she is the soul of this pungent film.

Roger Moore
December 26, 2003
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

A great film and one of the year's standout dramas. Full Review

Eric Harrison
December 26, 2003
Eric Harrison, Houston Chronicle

A powerful tale of a personal conflict that turns tragic when emotions spin out of control. Full Review

Roger Ebert
December 26, 2003
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Like great fiction, House of Sand and Fog sees into the hearts of its characters, and loves and pities them. Full Review

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House of Sand and Fog Trivia

  • Who plays in the movie "House of Sand and Fog" as an Iranian immigrant?  Answer »
  • Name the movie using the clues... - Ben Kingsley - Jennifer Connelly - Shohreh Aghdashloo - Iranian immigrants - Eviction  Answer »
  • who played the wife in the house of sand and fog?   Answer »
  • Name the Oscar winning actor who stars with Jennifer Connelly in the movie "House of Sand and Fog".  Answer »
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