House of Sand and Fog

Pros: Story, Direction, Ben Kingsley, Jennifer Connelly, Cinematography, Score
Cons: You must come to this movie because it does not beat you over the head

House of Sand and Fog (2003) I watch a lot of movies but this one really made a big impression on me when I first watched it a couple of years ago and again when I re-watched it last night. The movie was every bit as powerful the second time around. ...

Pros: Gripping as all getout. Ben Kingsley and Jennifer Connelly bring down the house!
Cons: Now I have "In the House of Stone and Light" stuck in my head.

An adaptation dripping with melancholy vibes, based on the book by Andre Dubus. That would be House of Sand and Fog, y'all. This one had me from the trailer, and with Jennifer Connelly's just recovering from the abysmal Hulk, it was about ...

Pros: Kingsley, Connelly, Aghdashloo
Cons: Hoerner's overbearing score; undoubtedly too depressing for some.

It is truly a rare thing to see a film these days in which there is no "bad guy"; no clear cut wrong or right, but rather two sides set in conflict with one another for equally understandable motives. The House of Sand and Fog, based on the novel ...

Pros: cathartic, moving, film with great cinematography, production design, art design and performances
Cons: long, episodic, assuming too much, arbitrary

A young woman awakens to a knock at her door. It's clear - from her appearance and that of the house - that she is sleeping late for a reason. But before we can explore her issues, she is evicted from her home - for failure to pay taxes on a business, ...

Pros: Excellent acting and camera work.
Cons: If you want to feel really depressed, watch this.

You won’t need Kleenix for “House of Fog and Sand.” This one is so sad that you might as well get the pills out and write the note. Really, I have never seen such a depressing movie ever. That’s not to say that it’s not interesting. It is. But, someone ...

Pros: Kingsley was immensely believable. Connelly was horribly identifiable.
Cons: The credits rolled.

I’m not good at movie reviews. With that having been said, rate this ‘Helpful’ and move on with your life. Be warned, though, comment, or I’ll e-mail you later and ask you why. It’s hard to know where to start speaking about this ...

Pros: stellar acting…
Cons: Holes in the plot, lack of emotional depth.

I love Jennifer Connelly; there is something about her quiet demure beauty that draws one in. Ever since I gazed into those (then) larger then life blue eyes in Labyrinth (1986), I was hooked, smitten, by the teenaged Connelly and her innocence ...

Pros: Kingsley, Connelly, Aghdashloo, the cinematography
Cons: The plot is too tied to thriller contrivances; maybe too dark for many people

When is a house not just a home? When it’s a metaphor, duh. When it represents your only tenuous hold on normalcy and your only tangible link to your family. When it represents a return to a stability and dignity that you have long since ...

Pros: Stunning imagery and unparalleled character development
Cons: A bit slow-paced at time; incredibly dark themes

House of Sand and Fog is the sort of movie that makes it hard to pinpoint one's expectations. The trailer leaves a strong hint of intrigue at the same time as it leaves one wondering whether it might be a contrived drama without much substance. ...

Pros: Amazing performances, visually impressive
Cons: Very depressing, somewhat slow-paced.

Imagine having a life that has little to offer the world, destroyed by your own personal trials, trying desperately to cling to any hope for the future. The one thing in your life that seems to demonstrate hope is your house. Your home. And another ...

Pros: Connelly and Kingsley, affecting tragedy
Cons: Stereotypical and often unreasonable fatal flaws, misanthropic, numbing

The House of Sand and Fog is a tough film to like. It's unrelentingly tragic, deeply misanthropic, and irresolvable. Which seems to me to be the goals of the film. And seeing as it's full of great performances and good direction, in light of the ...

Pros: Excellent performances from the cast, Kingsley and Connolly shine.
Cons: Too much pain and not enough gain, devoid of hope, with an oppressively overbearing score.

Firstly.. Ok, before we go any further, let me just make one thing clear. I've struggled to write this review, and I've struggled to give this film a rating because it's forced me to articulate some very confusing feelings and actually come to ...

Pros: A great story and script, fantastically performed.
Cons: This is NOT a "feel good" movie...not at all!!

This is an emotionally wrenching movie...utterly fascinating and devastating. Some critics have blasted the movie for having an over-the-top or far-fetched ending. The ending is quite enormous, but it is totally convincing and earns its "tragedy" the ...

Pros: Powerful, sensitive acting. Ben Kingsley is brilliant.
Cons: Not for those who like happy endings.

[Although this movie is listed under DVD/VHS, we saw it only recently in the cinema, Australia being several months behind the US in terms of release dates.] Theatrical Release Date: December 26, 2003 (only recently released in Australia) ...

Pros: The script, the mood, the J-Con.
Cons: The score...plus it's just a little, um, depressing.

Heroes and villains. Good vs. Evil. Black and white. That's how the story goes in most movies. This is not necessarily a bad thing; we need Darth Vader to be evil and it's important that James Bond is immortal. But when a movie aims to venture forth into ...