Drama, Rated R. 
Director: Vadim Perelman. 
Writer: Vadim Perelman. 
Cast: Jennifer Connelly, Ben Kingsley, Ron Eldard.

House of Sand and Fog is a dark tale about a self-destructive woman, Kathy Nicolo, who is evicted from her quiet and scenic San Francisco home one day due to unpaid business taxes.  Though Kathy blames this all on clerical error, she is nevertheless removed from the premises, with kid gloves, by Deputy Sheriff Lester Burdon and the house is put up for auction.  A down on his luck Iranian family man, Amir Behrahi, buys Kathy’s home hoping it will provide a second chance to restore the honor and dignity he once held in his native country.

Jennifer Connelly (A Beautiful Mind) portrays the depressed, recovering addict Kathy who has nowhere to go, no money to live off of, and wants beyond desperation to reclaim the house she inherited from her deceased father.  Kathy futilely attempts to convince the bull-headed Behrani, Ben Kingsley (Schindler’s List), to give back what is rightfully hers as he strongly reminds Kathy that the house is now legally his.  Deputy Sheriff Burdon, Ron Eldard (When Trumpets Fade), who was moved by Kathy’s story, and her beauty, decides to help her reclaim the house by any means possible so that the two of them can live happily ever after.  The movie becomes a tangled triangle between Kathy, Burdon, and Behrani, as all three struggles to do what they each feel is right, causing catastrophic effects for all of them and everyone around. 

Kingsley and Connelly are top-notch actors and add a lot of emotional depth and dimension to the somewhat melodramatic story.  Eldard does a decent job as the lust-driven deputy, but his character lacks due more to the script than his overall performance.  Shohreh Aghdashloo and Jonathan Ahdout nicely compliment the cast as Kingsley’s loyal wife and teenage son who are torn between their respect for Behrani and the pity they feel for Kathy.

First-time director Vadim Perelman, who also wrote the screenplay (based on Andre Dubus III’s novel), certainly uses his cast effectively and provides the audience with some strong character studies.  However, the overall story is slow and most audience members will probably find that “depressing” doesn’t quite capture how one will feel once the movie is over.  It’s a heavy-hearted drama to be enjoyed only by people who love such.  For House of Sand and Fog seems to take its notes from a Shakespearean tragedy with every character flawed, and all falling from grace, in a sad world with lots of remorse and very little redemption. 

Bottom line.  Should you see House of Sand and Fog?  Yes.

Review by Chad Goldich

Documentary, Rated PG-13
Director: Errol Morris
Cast: Robert McNamara.

The full title for Errol Morris’ latest documentary is The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara. Who is Robert McNamara?  Though retired now, McNamara has held several prestigious jobs throughout his life.  He served as an Air Force Captain during World War II (1943), was the first President of the Ford Motor Company who was not a blood relative of the Ford family (1960), and was President of the World Bank Group (1968-1981).  But Robert S. McNamara is probably most famous for being the Secretary of Defense for seven years (1961-1968) during the Presidential administrations of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson.  To some, McNamara is an intelligent, philosophical, patriotic hero.  To others, he is an evil monster who is blamed for countless deaths, both American and foreign, especially during the Vietnam War.

The Fog of War examines McNamara’s full life through archival television footage, still photographs, recorded phone conversations, and McNamara’s own testament.  Born June 9, 1916 McNamara is now in his mid-eighties and seems sharp as a tack during his up-close, exclusive interviews for this movie.  Though he shies away from most personal aspects of his life, McNamara openly discusses other tougher issues like how many U.S. soldiers probably died because of his decisions during World War II and how even more died in Vietnam.  Never making excuses, or fully taking blame for anything, McNamara just tells his side of the story as he saw it then and how he sees it today. 

The movie’s director, Errol Morris (The Thin Blue Line, A Brief History of Time), is a silent observer/interviewer for the most part.  He remains off screen, only chiming in here and there with a quick question or comment, leaving most of the talking to McNamara.  The Fog of War nicely blends McNamara’s interviews between archival footage and audio conversations presenting the audience with an interesting timeline of history.  But some of Morris’ camera angles and editing choices during McNamara’s interviews are irritating and somewhat of a distraction.  Morris also chose not to interview other historians or people who had worked with McNamara for the documentary, making the film very one-sided.  The film’s title, though, says that it’s about lessons from the life of Robert S. McNamara and that’s exactly what it delivers.  His life, his story.  For better, for worse.  The Fog of War shows that the decisions made during war are not always clear, but will be recorded in history regardless.  And that only time will tell whether those decisions were right or wrong. 

Bottom line: Should you see The Fog of War?  Yes.

Review by Chad Goldich

2004, Comedy, Rated PG-13
Director: Andy Cadiff
Cast: Mandy Moore, Matthew Goode, Mark Harmon

Anna (Mandy) is the only daughter of the president of the USA. It’s impossible for her to get any action because of that. While the president is visiting Prague, Anna escapes from the Secret Service and hops on a motorcycle with a mysterious stud named Ben (Goode). Little does she know that he is not what he appears to be. He is also a secret service who is assigned to watch her. Well, you can guess the rest.

It is very cute. Sure, it’s manufactured exactly following the romantic film recipe and has every single ingredient to make this type of film (understanding mom, over protecting dad, comic relief with their own subplot, annoying character that needs to be cut out completely and so on). So don’t expect twist or surprises. (Note: Wait, there is a surprise moment (Mandy’s butt)... but I learned that it’s a body double.) If you have seen the trailer, you have seen the film. But good thing about this film is it stars Mandy Moore. That’s right, Mandy Moore who has undeniable presence and unaffected charm that inspires everyone’s affection. Do you need any other reason than that to see this film?

Everyone in this film provides solid performances. No one’s performance is really forced. There are things that make you go “huh” a couple times (obviously the president of USA cares more about his daughter’s sex life than national issues, wait…that is realistic, never mind), but it is a cute date film to see for those teen couples and a cute film for grown ***censored*** men to see alone in the dark.

Although it entertained me, it is way too long. At least twenty minutes longer than it should have been.

Shogo is an award-award winning filmmaker currently hard at work on a new project. Asian Fever is his weekly column devoted to Asian cinema and related topics.

Drama, 2003, Rated R
Director: Anthony Minghella
Writer: Anthony Minghella, Charles Frazier
Cast: Jude Law, Nicole Kidman, Renee Zellwegger
Score: ****

The American Patient - Civil War style.  Writer/director Anthony Minghella’s(The English Patient, The Talented Mr. Ripley) latest is an adaptation of the Charles Frazier epic love story of sorts set in the backdrop of the beautiful Carolinas in the 1860s when America was at war with herself.  Wounded, tired and lovelorn hero Inman (Jude Law in a more subdued though no less energetic performance) deserts the army and heads home on foot, avoiding the enemy but more particularly, the dreaded Confederate Home Guard who have taken it upon themselves not only to rid the land of traitor deserters but pillage all good folk of any crop or animal.  Seeking solace in his new love, Ada (Nicole Kidman), the prim and proper daughter of a preacher (Donald Sutherland), Inman’s determination drives him on to the final embrace.

Minghella paints a picture of a disheartened and hopeless land whose coldness is reflected only by the barren landscape surrounding the village also known as Cold Mountain.  The battle scenes, notably the first segment are spectacularly staged—old fashioned panoramic style, with minimal special effects.  This is all masterly photographed and scored to grand effect.  One also cannot fault with Minghella for his compelling story-telling techniques (with layered flashbacks), which work well—primarily from his well-written supporting characters encountered by Inman during his journey.  These are performed by a stellar international cast that includes Natalie Portman, Brendan Gleeson and the barely recognizable Philip Seymour Hoffman and Giovanni Ribisi.  But Renee Zellweger steals the show as the tomboyish farm girl, Rudy, mumbling wise-cracks under her breath as if the day has no end. 

On the whole, Cold Mountain works like an adult fairy-tale with a fair share of violence and the romance sometimes carried out a bit too far. The ending is lengthy yet necessary for proper closure but the best bits occur when Minghella displays his sense of cynicism.  He likens the civil war to man-made rain, in which man will stand in it and shout “***censored***, it is raining!” and life to the parable of the bird, seed and ***censored***.  Nevertheless, this film finally emerges as a well made ambitious work worthy of the Best Picture Oscar.

GILBERT SEAH was born in Singapore and moved to Toronto in 1982. He is an engineer by profession, with a passion for the cinema. Since the age of 10, he has been to the movies almost daily. Having been brought up in the Asian, British and Canadian cultures, he is able to bring a distinct perspective to film.       

Drama, 2003, Rated PG-13
Director: Jim Sheridan
Writer: Jim Sheridan, Naomi Sheridan, Kirsten Sheridan
Cast: Samantha Morton, Paddy Considine, Djimon Hounsou
Score: **

The slowly fading image of the American flag at the start of Jim Sheridan’s family odyssey to New York City tells quite a bit of the story he is about to relate in his earnest semi-autobiographical film.  For one, the classic American dream is over-rated and non-existent.  Sheridan’s family comprises Irish émigrés Johnny (Paddy Considine from the little seen A Room for Romeo Brass) and Sarah (academy award nominee Samantha Morton from Woody Allen’s Sweet and Lowdown) with their two daughters, Kristy and Arial (sisters Sarah and Emma Bolger).  They move to a gothic run-down tenement, dare to knock on the door of “the screaming man,” a mysterious neighbor named Mateo (Djimon Hounsou), and everything changes. As the family heads for a crisis, Mateo becomes their unlikely ally in the territory where hope, faith and even magic hold sway.

In America has been touted as the best British film to have been made this year.  Indeed, Sheridan has tried his damndest best which is too hard for the film’s own sake, so much so that every scene has to end at some dramatic high point.  Johnny’s transport of an air-conditioner has to be taken across a busy street with vehicles whizzing by or a trip to the amusement park must end with a fanfare after Johnny finally wins the E.T. doll for his daughter.

But the film is a hybrid of both a family’s trials and tribulations while entering a new land as well as the parents‚ purging of the demons hovering over the loss of their son, Frankie (not shown on-screen).  Sheridan obviously brings the film towards its logical conclusion with the family settled in and husband and wife ready to live anew. 

With the film ending with the title “dedicated to Frankie,” it would take a reviewer with a heart of stone to pan a film made right from the heart.  But not all good intentions lead to successful results.  In America comes across as too hokey and too earnest for its own good.

GILBERT SEAH was born in Singapore and moved to Toronto in 1982. He is an engineer by profession, with a passion for the cinema. Since the age of 10, he has been to the movies almost daily. Having been brought up in the Asian, British and Canadian cultures, he is able to bring a distinct perspective to film.