It's a mild crowd pleaser for people who are exhausted by blockbusters.

Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

House of Sand and Fog is a tragedy if ever there was one. The story is tight and the acting is superb. It stars Jennifer Connelly and Ben Kingsley. It's described as a Crime Drama here on IMDB and that is misleading. This is a tragedy. Although there are crimes committed, by the Cop played by Ron Eldard, as he pursues a romantic relationship with the excellent Jennifer Connelly, falling for her considerable charms, it's not an accurate idea for describing this movie.Why we don't see more of Connelly in leading roles on the silver screen must have to do with her not kissing the right Hollywood arses and certainly not for a lack of talent or looks, as she possesses both in ample amounts. A recurring theme in Hollywood, particularly with talented actresses. As Marilyn Monroe once said, "Hollywood is a town where they'll give you a million bucks for a kiss and 50 cents for your soul." Smart lady. Kingsley is perfect in his portrayal of an Iranian immigrant moving his way up the social economic ladder in this land of promise. He comes by a house on auction that was illegally taken from Connelly's character. She has been wronged, but not by Kingsley's character as many would have you believe in their reviews of this disturbing film. The wrangling over this house destroys everyone involved, although the ending of the book, by Andre Dubus III, has a slightly different conclusion, with Connelly's character in prison. In the movie, it's not really clear what becomes of her but she is homeless and alone with no visible means of support just after two very convincing suicide attempts prior to the end of the story. This is a hard film to watch and it will haunt you for days after you finish it.

The pain, of being free from work is the beauty of not being free from work. Not being free from work is not being free from oppression.Not being free is being unfree. Being unfree is being oppressed. Beauty is being oppressed from oppression.Being oppressed is being controlled. Being controlled is not control. Not control is freedom. Beauty is freedom from oppression.Freedom from oppression is oppression that isn't from freedom. Oppression that isn't from freedom is oppression that's from oppression.Beauty is oppression being from itself - beauty is oppression being because of itself.Oppression is inequality. Inequality is disparity. Disparity is greater power. Beauty is greater power that's because of itself.Greater power isn't greater or power. Greater power is weaker weakness. Weaker weakness is worse weakness. Worse weakness is greater weakness. Greater weakness is better weakness. A better weakness is perverse power. Beauty is perverse power that's because of itself.Perverse power is logical weakness. Logical weakness is a logical absence of logic.Beauty is the logic of no logic that creates itself.Logic is authority. The opposite of authority is freedom. Beauty is the authority of freedom that creates itself.Beauty is an independent power that's always been responsible for itself.Beauty is a dependent weakness that's always been responsible for itself.A dependent weakness is a weak weakness. A weak weakness is a weakness that's chosen. Beauty is a chosen weakness that's chosen.A chosen weakness is a forced power. A forced power is an oppressive power. An oppressive power is a pure oppression.A pure oppression is a free oppression. A free oppression is a chosen oppression. A chosen oppression is a chosen weakness.Choosing a chosen weakness is a chosen power. Making the free choice to choose an oppressive power is beautiful.Making the free choice to be oppressed by a free weakness is beautiful.Beauty is when goodness freely decides to let evil take over reality.Beauty is when evil is forced to take over reality, because goodness hasn't the power to accept the knowledge of an alternative

Vadim Perelman's "House of Sand and Fog" looks at the way that goals can have terrible outcomes for all interested parties. When a woman loses her home for nonpayment of taxes, she stops at nothing to reclaim it, even as an Iranian refugee family buys it. What caught my eye is that both she and the new family have suffered adversity: her husband abandoned her, and the patriarch - a colonel in the old country - now works menial jobs. This house may have a beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean, but what happens over the course of the movie is anything beautiful. It is a REAL downer.While due credit should go to Jennifer Connelly as the original owner and Ben Kingsley as the patriarch, I think that a lot of credit should go to Shohreh Aghdashloo as the matriarch. Simply trying to hold her family together while still agonizing over the loss of their livelihood in the old country, she's a delicate but benevolent person. This is one of the most depressing movies out there, but I think that it's something that everyone should see.PS: The son mentions SAVAK. SAVAK was the Shah's security force from 1957 to 1979. Amnesty International reported that it had the worst human rights record on the planet.

Massoud Amir Behrani (Ben Kingsley) and Nadereh (Shohreh Aghdashloo) are Iranian exiles. He is still maintaining a facade of success but is actually working menial jobs. He buys a bungalow at an auction, moves in his family and then intends to flip it. Kathy Nicolo (Jennifer Connelly) was wrongly evicted for $500 of unpaid business taxes. She has been depressed for months after being abandoned by her husband. Sympathetic Deputy Sheriff Lester Burdon (Ron Eldard) tries to help and has an affair with her. It's a desperate struggle for both sides.This is a depressing tragedy. It is unrelenting in its direction. This is expertly laid down by newcomer Vadim Perelman. It does go to a very dark place but it is not coming out of nowhere. One must almost abandon all hope and enjoy this descend into personal destruction.