Based Andre Dubus III's best-seller, writer/director Vadim Perelman and co-writer Shawn Otto, have cleverly crafted a perfectly cast, character-driven conflict into which the audience is inexorably drawn. Ben Kingsley is an Oscar-worthy marvel, exuding stubborn conviction meshed with pride, dignity and intelligence, while Jennifer Connolly radiates dark vulnerability. However, the writing of her character has a major flaw: while she blames others, she's clearly the victim of her own stupidity and negligence by not opening her mail. It's difficult to feel sympathy for someone who's that self-destructive. Roger Deakins' cinematography is simple yet evocative, as is Maia Javan's production design. On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, "The House of Sand and Fog" is a chilling, suspenseful 9. It's powerful, compelling story-telling.