"House of Sand and Fog" is what's known in the movie industry as a "feel-bad" film, the opposite of a "feel-good" film, and not necessarily to be confused with a "four-hanky" film.
That's because "House of Sand and Fog's" sadder and more sentimental scenes are designed with a pay-off in mind. A pay-off that is considerably more provocative and higher-minded than simply attempting to turn on the audience's waterworks.
This surprisingly powerful drama does not lack emotion, however. In fact, it features some of the most anguishing moments of any movie this year.
The story concerns a dispute over a Bay Area home that has been owned for many years by the family of Kathy Niccolo (Jennifer Connelly), a recovering addict.
Unfortunately, due to a tax-appraisal error — and her own negligence — Kathy's ownership is about to end. Thinking that Kathy has failed to pay by a non-existent tax date, the county seizes her home and puts it up for auction. And as she tries to resolve the problem legally, the county actually sells the home to Massoud Amir Behrani (Ben Kingsley), a former Iranian Air Force colonel.
For the exiled Behrani, the house represents a place where he and his wife (Shohreh Aghdashloo) and teenage son (Jonathan Ahdout) can finally be at home in their adoptive country. So when Kathy shows up, demanding that they leave, he doesn't take it too well.
That, in turn, ignites Lester Burdon (Ron Eldard), a deputy sheriff who is sympathetic to Kathy's cause. (They're . . . well . . . intimate). And soon the dispute turns ugly, with tragic results.
Vadim Perelman, a music-video director and film-school drop-out, makes his feature debut a memorable one, but he does make a few rookie mistakes, such as overusing such transitional imagery as scenes of fog rolling in. But his deceptively relaxed pacing helps make the ending quite shattering.
He also has a terrific acting ensemble. The always-commanding is Kingsley is the standout here, but the his co-stars are also very good. And while Connelly seems a little too pretty to be playing this character, her performance is quite good. Aghdashloo, as Behrani's wife, comes up with the most endearing character, and newcomer Ahdout holds his own.
"House of Sand and Fog" is rated R for occasional use of strong profanity, violence (shootings and some domestic violence, including violence against women), gore, a pair of sex scenes, drug content (prescription-drug abuse — as part of a suicide attempt) and brief partial nudity (male and female). Running time: 126 minutes.
E-MAIL: jeff@desnews.com