Instant Favorite.

The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

humanness (noun) - the quality of being humanSet against the beautiful backdrop of "fog city", a powerful drama plays out, depicting the experiences, emotions, and actions that constitute the many facets of the universal human condition ... gain and loss, joy and grief, pride and shame, success and failure, loyalty and betrayal, suffering and salvation.This movie embraces issues that society likes to pretend don't exist. It shows, with glaring clarity, the incredible frailty of human life and why, all said and done, the value of a human life cannot be appraised in terms of wealth. On a deeper level, it demonstrates the fleeting and impermanent nature of everything in the world of tangible physical form.We are shown that one day's success can morph into failure the next. We are taught to appreciate what we have today, for tomorrow, it might leave an empty space in its wake. We are taught to look beyond the obvious, especially when it comes to judging another human being. We are motivated to ask - what is the point of this rat race, after all ? What am I really chasing after, and am I looking for it in the right place ?Just as soon as you have begun to develop a hatred for the self-serving ruthlessness of a character you've begun to paint as the bad guy, he shocks you by revealing his compassion, and you are left wondering whether he's a hero or villain. Just as soon as you've categorized him, he reveals that he is only human and doesn't fit your neat little categories anymore. Then it hits you ... ultimately, there are no good guys or bad guys in the drama of life ... no winners or losers ... only sufferers of the human condition ... that which compels us to act out as puppets of our desires and fears. And, no one is immune ... we are all vulnerable. Every character in this movie ... yes, every single one ... earns your compassion ... your love ... your tears.If you are someone who likes to believe fantasies like "life is great" and "focus on the positive and everything will be OK", you may be left with the sharp discomfort of questioning your illusions. However, if you're someone who is open to facing and accepting reality, it will resonate with you and move you very deeply.10/10 ... they could not have done anything any better. The cast ... every human in it ... was believable and tailored to the role. The musical score punctuated the on-screen drama perfectly.

Andre Dubus's magnum opus "House of sand and fog" is a saga about life's extreme merciless play being played upon three people- Kathy, Behrani and Lester each with their version to add. For Kathy, life was a reflection of her addictions and overflowing emotions. For Lester, his life was a reflection of his utter readiness to succumb to his temptations. For colonel Behrani, Life was nothing but a reflection of his hurt pride and his utmost trial to protect it from being hurt again which prevents him from giving up or surrendering no matter how difficult the situation is. In this fabulous tale, Kathy's house is the bone of contention between the two families. Behrani, a colonel from the Imperial Air Force of Iran, has to migrate to America when a revolution breaks out in Iran and his name is put on the death list. However, he does not surrender and bravely puts up the masquerade of a wealthy colonel while he actually works as a garbage worker to get his daughter married to a renowned Iranian family. Later when the bag of money dwindles to a purse, he buys a disputed property- Kathy's house at a cheap rate only to sell it after getting a good buyer. On the other hand, Kathy as unfortunate as she is, gets evicted out of her own house on the accusation of owning a business tax. As a result, the lives of two people get irreversibly changed for forever. Deputy sheriff Lester Burdon falls in love with Kathy on seeing her desperation as well as her beauty. He takes many hasty decisions to prove his true love. He leaves his family and children for the sole reason of his attraction and his affair. After this, he commits many other crimes which dismantle his life, for his lover's sake. This story has a sad and a violent ending and I am sure it will touch your heart just as it has touched mine.

It's a strange movie that this one : Jennifer's attachment to the house, her fragile psychic state, Kingsley's determination are not very believable but there's however a spleen feeling that is engaging : it's not every day that Hollywood takes a look at poverty, homeless or has a gentle depressive girl as main heroin and it's a good thing. Similarly, it happens not in sunny LA but rather chilly Frisco. It's a pity that the house isn't much explained : it's ordinary, tidy and as soon as Jennifer is evicted, it's the best place in the world ! Kingsley shows that he is indeed very talented but like « IR 3 », playing the bad guy is not his best choice.

This is totally a review with spoilers. I wrote this review mostly because I was really annoyed at the ten out of ten stars that was given to it by the fist review on IMDb. Too many films are given too high a rating and this is one of them in my opinion, although it is a pretty good film in some ways. I understand the book was excellent, and I love the themes that it explores. But a few things did not work for me. Most notably, while I generally love Ben Kingsley, I did not like his portrayal of the Iranian Colonel. The character, who experiences a lot of internal conflict, never seems authentic to me. He's stiff and unlikable at the beginning, and displays more humanity later (which is an essential part of the development of the movie.) But the changes in character seem pretty arbitrary. I don't see much nuance-just an either/or. I don't see the development, or the anguish. The officer who is Jennifer Connolly's love interest does some really unbelievable things, things not justified by his similarly unemotional character. I don't think its unbelievable that a cop would coerce someone, but you would think he might have to be carried away by his emotions to be taking two hostages in broad daylight to city hall. And the Iranians have ample opportunity to escape their captivity in this ludicrous trip. Yes, people do ridiculous and ill-advised things. Connolly's character's feelings/emotional state justify her behaviour. For me, the other characters do not display the emotional signs of being under the stress that motivates their characters. For me it was just not believable. There were a few good performances, great musical score, good atmosphere, but overall, meh.