Massoud Amir Bahrani, (Ben Kingsley) once a high-ranking member in the Iranian military, was forced to leave the country once it came under the grips of the Ayotollah’s. Now he, and his family, live in America in an attempt to regain the life they once had. Mr. Bahrani works menial jobs to maintain the facade of a priveldged life. In the same time and place, another person is living a lie as well. Kathy (Jennifer Connely) secludes herslf in the house her father left her. She struggles to face the true pains of her life – her husband has left, and she is a recovering addict. Due to a mistake downtown, her beloved house is being put up for auction by the county sheriff. Bahrani quickly empties his savings and buys the house, in hopes of turning a profit by selling it. Kathy befriends a local cop (Ron Eldard)… it quickly becomes an affair. The officer begins to intimidate the Bahrani’s, threatening deportation. How will an imminent clash of human culture and anger be mended?

Ben Kingsley is positively amazing in this role. I was, at the same time, scared and sympathetic for him. He has an inherent nobility in his figure that fits Bahrani perfectly. Bahrani is at his nature a family man, and a warrior. Kinglsey portrays the wisdom and violence of the character quite well. Bahrani has a tendency to snap at the drop of a dime, especially to women. Kingsley holds nothing back when he berates Kathy and his wife. He can be the most loving man in the world, and a most fearsome enemy at the same time.

However, Jennifer Connelly’s character is a little more one-sided. I do not believe it was her fault, the character of Kathy was always set in the most desperate and depressing situations. Which in turn meant that Connelly had to do alot of intense and sorrowful crying sequences. Kathy drags herself back into her addiction, and attempts to commit suicide. There only seems to be somethging else failing in her life. I thought to myself. “Why hasnt she offed herself earlier”? Perhaps her decision to go on in spite of the agony is a mes sage of hope in itself…or not. Either way, Connelly has added another intense and emotional performance to her repetoire and it is impressive at that. Her physical beauty made it seem all the more pathetic that she had to suffer such innner ugliness.

This is a fine film, made at a very important time. Amidst a movie season filled with fantasy, this is a situation that is painfuly real. The sublteties between the American and Iranian cultures

play a large part in the interaction between Kathy and the Bahrani’s. Culture however, is not the center focus of the film. It is more centered upon how each culture handles their own misery. Such themes would suggest that seeing this would be a depressing trip to the movies…and that is not so far from the truth. It is not a happy or pleasant film, but an eye opening one. I found myself hooked for two hours in the lives of Kathy and Massoud Bahrani. It is very difficult to choose a side in this film…who is the good guy in all of this? Even the police officer has personal problems and noble intentions of his own. There are many gray areas here that are brought into light – perhaps for the first time for some Americans. But, as I said before, culture is secondary to the real universal human struggles.

After everything, House of Sand and Fog is a different flavor form the rest of films coming out this holiday season. At it’s core is a face to face confrontation with reality.

Movie Grade: B+