House of Sand and Fog is simultaneously the most real and the least real film I think I’ve ever seen.

The premise is the first thing that falls short on reality. Kathy (Jennifer Connelly) is evicted from her house when she fails to pay a bill that’s not hers, and soon she’s living on the streets. This is actually based on a true event, but it goes deeper. The Behrani family has moved from Iran and is struggling to make ends meet in America, when the Colonel (Ben Kingsley) discovers Kathy’s home up for sale and buys it – much below market value. He then moves in with his wife (Shohreh Aghdashloo) and son Esmail (Jonathan Ahdout).

Again, not too unbelievable. What follows is a long battle between the two parties of the house and a series of multiple events that takes place in a short amount of time. Among these events, each of the characters make decisions that are simply unfounded. It feels like high drama is being forced simply for the sake of drama. None of the characters are developed to the point where we feel for their losses and connect with their situations.

On the other hand, the acting on the part of all, especially Kingsley, engages us as much as theater possibly can. Though the situations and decisions are strange, the drama – in the moment – couldn’t be more real. These actors bring life into their characters and vibrancy to the screen in way that’s rarely equaled. Beautiful lighting and film work only enhance the brooding feelings emitted.

House is also real in it’s depiction of tragedy. Each of the characters make small foolish decisions that build up until things have gotten far worse than any of them would have wished. The structure is real, and it’s harrowing. First time director Vadim Perelman makes both sides of the conflict equally sympathetic – and equally unsympathetic – allowing for genuine emotional confliction throughout the film.

The script doesn’t feel completely honest, however. The tragedy doesn’t seem fully earned and the characters’ loss is never dealt with straightforwardly. Basically, it feels like a lot of the text is simply there for drama’s sake. With the exception of Behrani’s genuinely touching moment of humility and penitence, we are hardly bettered by the story’s end. Though it’s strange to say, as real as these lives are, they never seem to really get off the screen.

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