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House of Sand and Fog is melancholic, slowly paced character study that builds into a tear-filled, emotionally disarming catharsis in the end. The film’s driving force is not only its excellent actors, but also its fragile and intimate directing, hypnotic music and Roger Deakins’s sombre cinematography. It is an intimate little film with a big idea. P.S.: Of the omitted scenes included on the DVD, I would definitely put the “Arab breakfast under surveillance” back into the film, as it complements the character of the young cop, which is the only one in the film that doesn’t work 100%. (09.06.2005)

This is exactly the genre that Europeans know how to make better... The film was interesting to me as a psychological drama, a conflict between two completely different personalities (either by nature or by value scale), and unfortunately in the second half, it approached (especially when it came to shooting and the character of the young policeman) the methods of typical American crime thrillers. Connelly is certainly a good actress, but I couldn't shake the feeling that she had just stepped off the set from a different studio – she simply didn't fit the role of a cleaning lady for me... On the other hand, Ben Kingsley and his whole Persian family were convincing. If Vadim Perelman was trying to present Nicol even partially as a victim of the system, it didn't work for me. She was only a victim of her own carelessness, and I couldn't identify with her as a protagonist in any way. Overall impression: 60%. (07.05.2007)

The direction is very restrained and the editing is tepid. The whole movie is filled with a peculiar suffocating atmosphere that only enhances the overall experience. There are a few deaf spots and at times it seems to be too long, but it doesn't significantly detract from the film's qualities. It's quite a depressing thing that requires the right mood and a desire to discover something new from a filmmaking perspective. (25.11.2004)

A beautiful and moving story, unfortunately driven to unrealistic (cinematic) extremes towards the end, which in my opinion detracts from its authenticity. Perelman proves with panache that even very simple material can be handled deftly, and his understated, eye-pleasing direction begs for an individual award. However, the main star is not the Ukrainian filmmaker, but the beautiful Connelly and, above all, the amazing Ben Kingsley, who again defines natural and precise acting. It's a real shame that Perelman got so carried away by the overseas trend, according to which a film's finale must be full of tears and psychological pressure; those great actors deserved better. 80% (09.01.2014)