Vadim Perelman makes his debut as a screenwriter and director with an expertly adapted film version of Andre Dubus III's eloquently written novel, House of Sand and Fog. In this gripping tragedy that sucks the viewer in like a vacuum and won't let go, Jennifer Connelly and Ben Kingsley offer riveting performances as two Californians fighting over a house. 

The decision to let Perelman write and direct this film involved an intriguing journey. Perelman had established a career as a successful commercial director, but had little screenwriting experience. "The agency usually did a script and sold it to the client, so the job usually came with a script or story board," explained Perelman. "But the more successful I became, the scripts became less detailed because they trusted me to bring my vision to the project."

And a clear vision is what came to Perelman after picking up House of Sand and Fog in the Rome airport bookstore and reading it while flying to New York. He even cried, admitted Perelman, who knew instantly it was a story he wanted to tell on the big screen. 

Here's a summary of how Perelman's vision appears on screen: Kathy Nicolo (Connelly) is fighting for her life. She's barely recovering from alcohol and drug abuse when her husband decides to abandon her. Kathy hides from life, sheltered in the only comforting spot she has, the house her father gave to her and her brother. Even the pile of mail that builds daily under her door slot fails to entice Kathy to face life head on. But when a team of sheriffs show up to evict her for unpaid taxes, she discovers her life can go even one step further into despair. The tax turns out not to be hers; it's a mistake by the county. However, because she didn't open her mail, the foreclosure is a done deal and Kathy's home is sold before she can even close the door on her storage unit.

Kathy's misfortune becomes a stroke of luck for Massoud Amir Behrani (Kingsley), who has worked at menial jobs to keep his wife, Nadi (Shohreh Aghdashloo) and son, Esmail (Jonathan Ahdout) in the lifestyle they were accustomed to before fleeing their homeland of Iran. Buying the Nicolo home at auction for a quarter of its value opens the door for Behrani to make a nest egg through its resale.

"I knew I needed to tell this story," Perelman said.  "It is a story about loneliness, being cast out and being an immigrant in a new country and in regards to Kathy … feeling like an immigrant in your own country," explained Vadim. "Those are themes that are primal and universal.  Who could not relate to some aspect of that?"

It's not surprising that viewers can relate to the battle-of-wills struggle between Behrani and Kathy -- a fight that wraps legality, morality, decency and empathy into one big snowball blasting against the wall of doom and disappearing under the heat of human emotions. Even Kathy's liaison with Sheriff Lester Burdon, who decides to leave his wife at the same time he falls for Kathy, cannot save any of them from potential devastation.

Perelman had the opportunity to explain his ideas about the film many times, for once House of Sand and Fog became an Oprah book, agents swarmed around Dubus like bees to honey. Perelman bucked the system and even his own agents to get a chance to bid for the job of writer.

"When I finally got to talk to him, I told him I had nothing to lose, no agenda, and that this was going to be my life," stated Perelman. "I said, 'I'm going to fight to the death to remain true to your book.' And right there on the phone he said, 'It's yours."

No wonder Perelman can identify with immigrant struggles. He was born in Russia and was only nine years old when his father died. When he was a teenager, he and his mother moved to Italy where Perelman worked the streets, begging and often getting into trouble. It was this background that entrenched him into the book's deep-rooted characters. And Perelman couldn't be happier with his Oscar-winning leads.

Ben Kingsley is mesmerizing as Behrani, a man who served as a Colonel in the Iranian Air Force and will not let the plight of an irresponsible woman or the impulsive threats of a law enforcement officer control his future. Kingsley will probably get an Oscar nomination for this role.

Equally deserving are both Shohreh Aghdashloo and Jennifer Connelly, who allows her character to wallow in its own cocoon of neglect yet leaves the viewer teetering on the edge of compassion.

"Jennifer is an extremely smart girl, very intuitive and very cerebral about this kind of stuff," said Perelman. "She wrote a lot of her own lines on the day of filming, like that great line in the trailer and I think one of the best lines in the movie, 'It took him 30 years to pay it off and me only 8 months to f*** it up.' Ben was meant to play the role of Behrani. No on else could have come close. He's the center of the movie. Shohreh has this incredible heart and great compassion. I found myself directing her a lot, not that she needed it, but because I enjoyed working with her."

An audience constantly being pulled to connect with both parties is a contrivance rarely found in a film, but one done extraordinarily well in the book and the movie. "That was a great challenge because the book sets up three-dimensional characters that have so much depth," said Perelman. "One of the most important things I tried to achieve with this film is for people to root for Kathy and Behrani equally. They are both flawed people, but they both want something noble in a way. They don't understand each other, though, and that is what will ultimately destroy them."

One scene showing Behrani reaching into the car and picking Kathy up in his arms sucker-punched me right in the gut. "It's a beautiful scene," Vadim commented, "Behrani carrying her up the hill like a wounded soldier."

In addition to a clever script, captivating performances and keen direction, other filmmaking elements enhance viewer involvement in the House of Sand and Fog.  Roger Deakins, a master cinematographer, lights the sets and frames the shots with precision -- like opening a closet door, turning on a dim overhead light and feasting an eye on a mere speck of dust atop a valuable antique. 

"Roger is one of the greatest cinematographers in the world and I felt incredibly honored to have him on my first movie," said Perelman. "He is more responsible for me learning how to be a film director in a short time than anyone else."

Likewise, James Horner's musical score impressively molds feelings with haunting highs and lows. "It was important to me not to oversell the story with the score," said Perelman, "And James wrote a beautiful score. It's an incredible piece of work that fits the movie perfectly."

The theme of the film is one everyone can relate to -- either pursuing the American dream or losing it and how to deal with the results. "I made this movie so that vicariously we can live through this tragedy, and we may be able to live through our own in a graceful way," said Perelman.

While some moviegoers may want to shy away from such a deep film, I would encourage anyone who enjoys great cinema to see House of Sand and Fog. As Andre Dubus III said, "I believe people don't go to movies only to be entertained or transported to someplace else. I think they also go to delve deeper into the human experience."

(Photo: Jennifer Connelly and Vadim Perelman on the set of House of Sand and Fog. Photo Credit: Bruce Birmelin.)