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House of Sand and Fog

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House of Sand and Fog

Old 01-09-04, 12:02 PM
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Originally posted by Corvin
I'm not trying to tell you what to think, but here are some other ways of seeing the situations.
Spoiler:


1) The kid is like what, 15? He's in an extremely stressful situation, pulls this gun that he has no clue how to use, and I don't think he was going to point it at the cops but simply turned towards them. Heat of the moment? I bought it--hook, line, and sinker.

2) She's drunk. Extremely drunk. Probably never handled a weapon before. Again, I buy it.

3) The cop has always been clumbsy and, well, it seems incompetent. Sure, he has a respectable rank--but he hits on chicks on duty, threatens people under an alias, etc.. I don't think leaving his gun in the trunk is that big of a stretch.

4) At this point, I think all Ben's character wanted to do was end this messy situation. Once his son pulled the weapon, well, things obviously changed quickly.


------

That being said, I don't think this is a great film. I do think it's good enough, though.
Well, as I said, I could have listed points, but I really don't care to invest that much time in a film I think is on the whole mediocre. But to each our own, you have as much right to love it as I have not to have it work for me, que sera.

My issue wasn't the particular points per se
Spoiler:
but I do think it's ludicrious to build your third act on the death of underdeveloped secondary character. He sells it like crazy after just a few conversations with him. I know that it would be and is tragic to lose a child, but don't rely on convention, make it your own moment if you are making the movie. If they had spent some time comparing his time in the Shah's regime and his actions versus what happened to his son, or somehow given us an indication that his otherwise bright, Westernized son would be be so foolish, I would have been right with him. To me, it played like tragedy for tragedy's sake, and while we're going there, lets make it an out of left field suprise too. I respected what they were going for, in making real humans and sympathetic viewpoints to all sides of this story so that the emotions and allegiances and perspectives of the viewer were forever shifting. But at the same time, we never see the villan of this film, nor is there much vitriol sent it's way, THE COUNTY. Only a fool would blame the family that moves in, but I realize it's a human reaction, it's just hard to generate sympathy out of someone bone stupid.
.

But that said, I do accept your third point most of all, that's a reasonable leap to make. In and of themselves, to me, there is no problem with one, two or a few leaps of logic and gaps in reason by the characters, but it was the consistent and frequent leaps that caused me problems. As I said before, without choices in a film there is no drama, but some capacity for someone to make a proper choice goes a lot further in convincing me to truly empithize with them.
Old 01-19-04, 06:46 PM
  #27  
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Just saw the film today and was blown away...no one shoots a movie like Roger Deakins and just fantastic movie...
Old 03-31-04, 03:33 AM
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Just saw the movie. Kind of painful to watch during the 2nd half. You just know that things will only go downhill and end in tragedy.

BTW, after watching this movie, I don't understand ppl who still say Jennifer needs to gain weight. Are you guys too thickheaded to see that she has gained a LOT of weight since The Hulk, and looks to be healthy too?
Old 04-01-04, 08:41 AM
  #29  
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Whoa...excellent movie. I wasn't even planning on picking it up, until I saw the clips of it at the Oscars. God, I love depressing films.
Old 04-20-04, 12:59 PM
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I just watched this last night. I thought it was very good, but the characters just infuriated me! I was under the impression that it was based on a true story after seeing Jennifer Connelly on the talk show circuit, but fortunately I was wrong. Her character was based on someone the author read about in a newspaper article.

The only people I had any respect for were the two wives because everyone else did something so monumentally stupid they deserved whatever bad results they could receive from their actions.
Old 04-20-04, 08:07 PM
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this one really was the definition of "meh..." to me.....good acting, awful story and I didn't give a rats ass about anyone in the thing by the end. the
Spoiler:
death of the son
was so blatantly contrived and foreshadowed....when it finally happens i just didn't care. Ron Eldard's character was really just unbelievable in his stupidity by the end of it all.....while I can often suspend disbelief and allow some actions by movie characters, his
Spoiler:
locking the family in the bathroom
was simply unbelievable.

I don't know...i wanted to like this, but it just rubbed me the wrong way from the get go....just didn't like the story, characters, or ending. blah movie all around.
Old 04-20-04, 08:54 PM
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This sounds like an interesting movie. If anything I gotta check it out for Jennifer Connelly.
Old 06-08-04, 12:39 AM
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just saw the movie today. Really enjoyed it. JC did a great job. Kingsley was good, but a lot of his emotions near the end seemed silly to me. The cop was horrible.

But, what I really want to know is the meaning of the title of the movie. Besides the obvious, what is the exposition and meaning of the title? I'm not very good at pointing them out , and wandered the exact meaning. Thanks

Jason.
Old 07-10-04, 01:07 AM
  #34  
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I watched this movie this evening and it has taken me a while to put all my ducks in a row, so to speak. I liked the movie. I liked the theatrics and the performances. With this movie though, there is no plot. However, there is a story of two parties and the effect a particular house has on their lives. It was a good adaption of a novel that tells how two parties with the best intentions can end up with devastating results. I still can't get over the visuals though...beautiful, beautiful film.

3 stars (out of 4)
Old 07-10-04, 02:57 AM
  #35  
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saw this movie on a flight back from Paris, and enjoyed it a lot. bought it on DVD recently. very powerful movie, with a great performance by Ben Kingsley. the movie is very heart wrenching during its final acts, the reactions are very believable, and even though emotionally it is a very tiring film, I still recommend it to people as at least a rental. one of my favorites so far this year.
Old 07-11-04, 05:39 PM
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A plot hole that really stuck out to me was even if the county had seized the property to sell it to pay off the business tax bill, the owner would still get the balance of the proceeds ($45K less taxes). In the movie, it was represented that she got no money, or else why was she living out of her car. Also, it was clearly stated that she owned the home as it was inherited from her father. Pretty weak if you ask me.

Last edited by Jack Straw; 07-11-04 at 06:14 PM.
Old 07-11-04, 05:57 PM
  #37  
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Originally posted by William Wallace
Just saw the movie. Kind of painful to watch during the 2nd half. You just know that things will only go downhill and end in tragedy.
Actually, the viewer knew it would end tragically from the opening shot of the movie when the cop asks her if the house is hers. That's another gripe I have with this movie (and others) where movies begin at a point in the story that already tips off the viewer of the impossibility of certain things happening earlier in the story (i.e. her killing herself).

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