Monday, August 23, 2004

House of Sand and Fog


I had heard about House of Sand and Fog a few month ago and I decided to go and see the movie but after I found that it's a sad story of an Iranian family, migrating to the US after the 1979 revolution, I changed my mind. But Ray rented the movie and we both watched it. Regardless of the sadness and depression that you would get after watching it, it was a great movie. Sir Ben Kingsley and Jennifer Connelly have great performances and Shohre Aghdashalo is good too. She was nominated for the best supporting actress by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences this year but didn't win it.
I doubt this is a true story but it's very close to real life of Iranians who flee. The film shows good attributes of Iranians and also the richness in the culture. Sir Ben Kingsley is so much in to the character (Colonel Massoud Amir Behrani, a former member of the Shah of Iran's elite inner circle) that you don't believe he's not Iranian. He changes his strong British accent and he even looks like an Iranian. There's a scene in the movie that Shohre screams: I haven't been to the US to live like filthy Arabs and gypsies. I'm here in the States to have a great life! But this is all in Persian and I don't think the director, producer or anyone else could allow Shohre shout this pure fact, if they had known what it meantt!
Regardless of the bitter finish of the movie, it's a very strong one and highly recommended.
(Photo: Jennifer Connelly and Ben Kingsley at the scene of the movie)

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