***POSSIBLE SPOILERS*** "House of Sand and Fog" is intelligently written, adroitly acted, and compassionately directed, and tells a tragic story of a refugee (Ben Kingsley) who flees from his country to settle with his wife and children in a house that was recently the estate of an afflicted, depressed alcoholic (Jennifer Connelly) bequeathed to her by her father's will. So ensues bitter acrimony to an unhealthy, detrimental degree, as the woman strives to retrieve her "bereaved" possession- she merely forgot to pay the rent, and the insurance company stole her place of residence and sold it to an equally desperate and conflicted figure, who is as emotionally distraught as Jennifer Connelly about life and its injustices. I know what you're thinking- this is merely a feud between two unruly people over an estate (a failed concept in "Duplex") and that is the consistency of the plot. Well, there is much, much more to be explored than merely bitter tension, and this "house of sand and fog" soon becomes a breeding ground of emotion, turmoil, and ultimately, tragedy and despair. This is mostly a character study- of life's many conflictions and disparities which cause us to commit desperate actions to achieve demands or even to relinquish our frustrations upon the sheer cruelty of life. The refugee Behrani (Kingsley) has reasons for his fleeing Iran- for he experienced unspeakable turmoil and tragedy there, and is merely trying to escape such horrible memories from his past. Kathy (Connelly) is an emotionally unstable, afflicted woman who has practically conceded to life, drowning her sorrows away with bottles of Gin and medication. It is a sad state of affairs when two conflicted people such as Behrani and Kathy clash ferociously over an estate, and put the interests of themselves and their loved ones in jeopardy. Behrani's wife Nadi, as well as their children, did not seek to relive the nightmares of civil warfare when they fled to America, and their are merely "collateral damage" in the event of the bitter feud. This is a heartbreaking, absorbing, and ingenious drama that explores some major human flaws, specifically desperation, and outlines how tragedy can result when certain limits of tolerance towards life and happiness are breached and how one cannot possibly live in silence through apparent turmoil and not possess a rage which demands to be hearkened when the fuse of their temperance is ignited. Kingsley is brilliant and compassionate as Behrani, giving his character an engaging graveness and understanding that is rare in film. Connelly is equally fantastic as the afflicted Kathy, and really knows how to convey compassion and sadness to her disparaged character. Shoreh Aghdashloo speaks volumes in her remarkably sensitive performance about the quells a man's wife experiences through her husband's trials, out of constraint and loyalty. This is an absorbing, compassionate, and heartbreaking story of tragedy, containing enough convention and understanding towards its subjects to conjure a very powerful catharsis by the end, in presenting a true tragedy. What a powerful and ingenious experience "House of Sand and Fog" is- an exemplary drama that should be inspired by future films of the most sensitive area of all- tragedy. **** out of ****
Review of House of Sand and Fog
