House of Sand and Fog

Based on Andre Dubus III's parable about American self-absorption, director Vadim Perelman's House of Sand and Fog is a psychological drama boasting two strong lead performances: one from the stirring Jennifer Connelly, as a demoralized recovering addict who loses her family home in foreclosure, and the other from Oscar-nominated Ben Kingsley as the proud Iranian immigrant who becomes the target of her growing, dangerous disdain when he buys the house at auction with plans to sell it for a quick profit to support his wife and college-bound son. A film about choices and consequences, gratefully minus any easy black-or-white ethics, House of Sand and Fog nevertheless has nagging problems that eventually add up to a distracting crescendo: Connelly looks too healthy and beautiful to be a downtrodden 12-stepper, and the film's spellbinding atmosphere is hampered by stale, lazy narrative techniques (such as a flash-forward opening that gives away too much and an excessively orchestrated climax). Ultimately, the performances, including an Oscar-nominated supporting turn by Shohreh Aghdashloo as Kingsley's wife, carry the movie through its shortcomings, but these actors deserve material as good as they are, and this isn't it. A strong optional purchase. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary by writer-director Vadim Perelman, author Andre Dubus III, and costar Ben Kingsley, five deleted scenes with optional director commentary (11 min.), a 16-minute behind-the-scenes featurette, a six-minute audition segment for costar Shohreh Aghdashloo, cast/filmmaker bios, a photo gallery, and text production notes. Bottom line: a fine extras package for an uneven film.] (R. Blackwelder)