I had never seen a movie that completely depressed me, but after "House of Sand and Fog," I found myself rushing to the bathroom to wipe away my tears in an attempt to regain some of my masculinity. I wasn't the only one, though. Sharing the theater with mostly older people, we were all drying our tears. This film makes you feel for the characters.

The movie takes you into the lives of two families that have been broken up and discriminated against. When they meet, they hate each other. Although their strife is clear, you feel for both families because you know the predicaments they both experienced.

Recently divorced Kathy (Jennifer Connelly) is kicked out of her house when it is repossessed by the bank and put up for auction. This causes her old lifestyle as an alcoholic and smoker to resurface.

The family of Behrani (Ben Kingsley) is in exile from Iran and new to this country. It is quite believable that discrimination occurs, and they are continuously threatened by prejudiced individuals. The movie becomes blurred by your watery eyes at this point but is rubbed clear by the good fortune of this poor family that buys a house for an extraordinarily low price with plans to sell it for a big profit.

The characters are portrayed very well, and the originality as well as the unpredictability clearly explain the film's success in all aspects of its making.

The juncture where these families collide is when Kathy's house is auctioned off to the Middle-Eastern family. She becomes significantly more prejudiced, even using racial slurs. It is frightening to see the reality of hatred people have for others and the decisions we make because of our hatred.

A cop becomes involved because he is infatuated with Kathy and blindly helps her try to get her house back. Putting everything on the line for his new love affair, including his job and reputation, he threatens Behrani's family on Kathy's behalf. This is a woman who does not take no for an answer when she asks for her house back!

After watching this movie, it is not possible to describe the emotions it is responsible for unless you see and experience it yourself. I am saying this movie may be depressing, but without a doubt, it is excellent. Sending many messages, one in particular would be always to stay on the right track in life and not to be led astray or you may awaken from your dreams to a nightmare. I highly recommend "House of Sand and Fog."

This movie is rated R.