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The House of Sand

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The House of Sand

R

2005

1h 55m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

80%

Tomatometer

69 Reviews

80%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

After their patriarch (Ruy Guerra) dies in an accident, a pregnant woman (Fernanda Torres) and her mother (Fernanda Montenegro) must fend for themselves in a harsh desert in northern Brazil. Befriended by a local man (Luiz Melodia), they establish a modest home, and the younger one, Aurea, dreams of escape, but the older one, Dona Maria, learns to accept her fate.

Critics Consensus

Beautifully filmed with wonderful performances, this Brazilian tale deftly explores the passage of time and prolonged isolation in several decades of a mother and daughter relationship.

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Michael Booth

Denver Post

It is a wondrous place, almost of another planet, and more than compensation for the effort to get there.

Rated: 3/4

Sep 22, 2006

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Ann Hornaday

Washington Post

Visually dazzling, epic in its sweep and deeply romantic in its sensibility, The House of Sand is one of those films whose images and ideas linger long after the lights come on, having been burned into the viewer's consciousness.

Sep 15, 2006

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Terry Lawson

Detroit Free Press

It ends up like an impressionist painting without a subject, one we stare at longingly, waiting for its purpose to emerge.

Rated: 2/4

Sep 15, 2006

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Fernando F. Croce

CinePassion

Disregards the political shifts of Brazil's history by isolating the sprawling narrative from the rest of the nation, so that nothing can distract the director from his finicky composing

Aug 30, 2009

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Film Threat

Rated: 4/5

Apr 21, 2007

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Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

It all seems as bleak and empty as the desert.

Rated: C+

Dec 21, 2006

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StephenPaul C

The greatest 01 hour: and 55 minutes ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Featuring a cast from Brazil that speaks Portuguese!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/26/23

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Audience Member

House of Sand is set in the barren, sandy wasteland of northern Brazil, which director Andrucha Waddington lovingly and beautifully photographs. The film spans three generations through the eyes of a handful of people, one actress playing three generations of characters, another two. It's as if there were only a handful of people in this world, and the plot and characters' choices are equally desolate. The protagonist endlessly tries to escape the place. But in the end, to this film there is nothing more than sand.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/06/23

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Audience Member

The House of Sand features excellent acting and good storytelling. While there may be some problems with the plot itself, it was believable that it was happening to the characters on-screen. I rate it up mainly on account of the fact that I cared about what happened and was rooting for the character played by lead actress to make it out.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/15/23

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Audience Member

well crafted and photographed chick flick

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

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Audience Member

Splendid photography. Remarkable acting. A tour de force.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/15/23

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Audience Member

A beautiful work to look at, lost amidst the cinematic desert, which is a combination between Teshigahara and Tarkovsky, with less cinematic and metaphysical impact but with an hypnotic world that has the power to capture your body and make you stay permanently. Open you eyes and be cautious, because generations pass in the blink of an eye and the hearts of these "women in the dunes" are reflected by the same actresses with alternating roles. It deserves much more praise. 75/100

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/22/23

Full Review

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Andrucha Waddington

Director

Fernanda Montenegro

Dona Maria

Fernanda Torres

Áurea

Ruy Guerra

Vasco de Sá

Seu Jorge

Massu (1910-1919)

Luiz Melodia

Massu (1942)

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Synopsis

After their patriarch (Ruy Guerra) dies in an accident, a pregnant woman (Fernanda Torres) and her mother (Fernanda Montenegro) must fend for themselves in a harsh desert in northern Brazil. Befriended by a local man (Luiz Melodia), they establish a modest home, and the younger one, Aurea, dreams of escape, but the older one, Dona Maria, learns to accept her fate.

Director: Andrucha Waddington
Producer: Leonardo Monteiro de Barros, Pedro Buarque, Andrucha Waddington, Pedro Guimaraes
Screenwriter: Elena Soarez, Luiz Carlos Barreto, Andrucha Waddington
Production Co: Conspiração Filmes
Rating: R (Some Graphic Sexuality)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Brazilian Portuguese
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Aug 11, 2006
Release Date (DVD): Dec 12, 2006
Box Office (Gross USA): $529.3K
Runtime: 1h 55m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital