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House of Sand and Fog

House of Sand and Fog (Dreamworks) * Ben Kingsley, Jennifer Connelly, Ron Elda, Shohreh Aghdashloo. Vadim Perelman, Director. Michael London, Producer. 

Based on the Oprah-blessed bestseller of its namesake by Andre Dubus III, the riveting film casts Ben Kingsley brilliantly as an Iranian immigrant, Massoud Amir Behrani, trying to recapture past glory when he was an elite member of the inner circle of the Shah of Iran, and carve his own version of the American dream. He is barely making ends meet when he acquires a house that is being auctioned off for back taxes and which is erroneously seized from its owner, Kathy Lazaro, played by that other Academy Award-winner, Jennifer Connelly. A recovering addict who has been abandoned by her spouse, this becomes the last straw for Lazaro and she becomes determined to claim what she believes to be rightfully hers. 

Director Vadim Perelman picked up the book at the Rome airport and by the time he landed, he knew he had to make this movie. "I knew I needed to tell this story. It is a story about loneliness and of being cast out…about being an immigrant in a new country and, with regard to Kathy, about feeling like an immigrant in your own country. Those are themes that are primal and universal. Who could not relate to some aspect of that?" 

Perelman's first and only choice for the role of Behrani was Ben Kingsley, who was already ahead of the game. "When I first contacted him about playing the part of Behrani, he told me he'd already read it. I asked, 'You've read the script?' and he said, 'No, I read the book. Andre's wife sent it to me right after it was published." 

Kingsley says: "She had taken it upon herself to send me the book with a very charming cover letter saying that her husband had written Behrani with a silhouette very similar to mine in mind. Not to say that he wrote it for me or about me, but that he used me as a kind of benchmark, if I may. I loved the book and then, months later, Vadim sent me his beautiful screenplay. I felt Behrani was a man with whom I could empathize. I wanted to tell this man's story. I was curious about his degree of commitment and his ability to endure loss and even humiliation in order to be the patriarch he feels he was born to be." 

Connelly, who was also immediately attracted to the role of Lazaro says, "I liked the fact that there is no good guy and bad guy. I found it really compelling that both sides do things that are morally questionable, because life is often like that." 

Masterfully directed and filmed, House delivers its pathos heavy-handedly and, admirably, doesn't lighten the dose for its audience or give in to any kind of typical Hollywood ending. It also makes a powerful statement that any action - or inaction, for that matter - has consequences that can, once put into motion, hurtle towards unimaginable doom. Preview audiences in Los Angeles sat stunned for minutes after the last shot, while credits were rolling. There is little doubt that even after leaving the theatre, House will follow you to yours.

-SA

SOUNDS 

The Rousing Sounds of Rasa

Forget those over-priced Buddha Bar compilations and don’t waste your time with those that promise sensuality but sound like old Windham Hill piano samplers that want to smother you with sentimentality.  In what’s becoming a congested world of electronica music – or lounge music, as so many of us refer to it as – there are the impeccable sounds of Rasa, a music label from South Indian-born founder, Donna D’Cruz, which brings us the deeply moving, global music that so many aspire to capture but fail miserably in a clutter of empty beats and overproduced tracks.

"We wanted a place where we could explore music from all different areas,” D'Cruz explains. "Anything that is steeped in the traditions, spirits, and societies of the world - - we want to be able to smudge the edges, and cross the boundaries that normally divide these elements. We're dedicated to creating bridges between isolated cultures because when we look deeply into the soul of any music, of any culture, we find the commonalties that link the human community." 

The music’s diversity is evident in Rasa’s roster of talent – from self-help guru Deepak Chopra to gay dance diva Amber, the label has packed in the spiritual with the sexy, implying that truly good music blurs any perceived boundaries between the two, enabling the listener to experience a sensual journey.  Rasa Mello 2 and Rasa Exotica 2 are part of the label’s new, standout releases and essential to any collection.  Mello 2 features sexy Balearic groves of which a stunning, hard-to-find ballad version of Amber’s “Sexual” and Chopra’s “Oceans of Ecstasy,” set against a poignant flute backdrop, are instant gratifiers.  Exotica 2 is packed with soulful house grooves for the dance floor and features many previously unreleased tracks including Major Boys featuring Aurelia’s “Sous Le Soleil.” 

Run to get these!

-GD