February 4th, 2004For the record, I can't remember any movie that I've seen that was actually better than the book that it was based on. I may have come across one at some point, but the improvement definitely wasn't enough to warrant a spot in my memory. With House of Sand and Fog, I have finally found a movie that was superior to the book.
The book itself was interesting, though not exactly the caliber that I had expected. While the dual first person points of view provided deep character development, the structure of the novel dragged the story down. So much time was spent on the development of the conflict that the end, quite frankly, was anticlimactic and unsatisfying.
Vadim Perelman, the director and writer, did an excellent job with this adaptation. He filled in the holes from the book beautifully. Especially with the ending. Usually it bothers me when a movie goes off in its own direction and doesn't heed the original source. In the case of House of Sand and Fog, it didn't at all. Perelman changed the ending from the book to something much more appropriate, so I was relieved more than anything.
One of the main reasons to see this movie, of course, is the acting. Ben Kingsley and Jennifer Connelly--two of the finest actors in my opinion--are excellent as usual. Shohreh Aghdashloo, who plays Ben Kingsley's wife, and Ron Eldard who plays Connelly's love interest both give very good supporting performances too. Other aspects of the movie that should interest people are the score, which was much better than I thought it could be, and the cinematography, which was straightforward and poignant.
Oh yes, and I almost forgot...it might be good to mention what the movie is about. Essentially it is about two people's inability to understand each other and what transpires as a result.
Overall, a very strong film from a first-time director.
My rating: 7/10