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House of Sand and Fog: This is high quality garbage. The movie (based on a book) concerns the clash of a recovering alcoholic wrongly loses her house, the emigrant who buys it in order to try to build a new life in this country [the movie, undated, seems to take place in the 1980s], and a troubled deputy who steps in for his own reasons. Jennifer Connelly plays a wounded doe, Ben Kingsley has one of his best role in years, and Ron Eldard plays one of the more stupider deputies out there. Kim Dickens (deputy's wife) and Frances Fisher (Connelly's lawyer) are wasted, especially Dickens, who deserves to be in more roles these days. Just not as stereotypical spurned wives like this one.

The house serves as a lifeline for Connelly and Kingsley, the one as a lifeline as everything else around her falls apart, the other a lifeline to regaining his place in society (formerly a colonel, he now does menial work, while clinging to the veneer of respectability). Both in their own way are victims of fate, somewhat selfishly try to fight back, but know deep down they are wrong to do so. The deputy is a lesser tragic figure, but he fits into the mix as well. All very well with the big themes hanging over all the events and the performances in various ways impressive. You can see why this is Oscar bait, it is in limited release in December to qualify, and has gotten various rave (though many mixed) reviews.

The problem is that at its core it is melodramatic tripe. The Iranian family's story is generally well portrayed (rather the father is ... the rest are basically stereotypes, including a teenage son who lets it be known that he will take another paper route to help pay for his college education, if they have to give back the house). Connelly, however, is played as this wounded doe that is sleeping in her car before we know it (perhaps the book gave her character more complexity, but Connelly is not really served well by the material). The deputy is ever more stupid (I admit, Jennifer Connelly might tempt many to go toward that direction, but still). And it is unclear how Connelly lost how house, even putting aside the carelessness involved, given the trivial amount of money involved. California is darn strict!

Actually, the whole time period of the frame seems strangely condensed -- it seems like her family (yes, she has a brother -- a co-owner of the property that apparently was not even informed that the house was sold at auction -- and mom available throughout) is due over shortly, and before they come, the house is sold, the new family moves in, and it's almost sold. And, then the movie really takes a melodramatic turn that has to be seen to be believed. I will not provide too much of a spoiler, but suffice enough to say that this really turned me off -- it was one of those cases where the movie did not earn what it asked the audience to accept. And eventually the heavyhanded imagery (especially near the end, yuck), got to be just too much.

I know my audience really didn't seem to accept it ... the movie has some good stuff in it, enough that you might forgive its basic flaws, but I did not. This is surely the case of taking a good thing with redeeming social value and all that, and pushing the melodramatic knob just a tad bit too far.