The movie is largely about how we judge these characters who are on the fringes of society 
American actress Jennifer Connelly's return to the spotlight is every bit as unlikely as the plot for 1986 fantasy pic Labyrinth, in which she first came to prominence. An Oscar winner in 2002 for her performance as Russell Crowe's wife in A Beautiful Mind, she's now playing opposite Ben Kingsley in US drama House Of Sand And Fog. Soon she'll dive into Dark Water for the US studio remake of the Hideo Nakata's Japanese horror pic.
One imagines this was an emotionally draining role. Was it?
It was, but it was nice to work on. I enjoyed doing it so that's much less stress. I put myself through such hell if I think I'm working on something I don't know what to do with, that I feel isn't working at all. That's the most exhausting thing.
So you knew very clearly who your character Kathy was...
Well, we had a novel, of course, that was written in alternating first person, so there were basically long stretches of internal dialogue written for my character. That was really valuable to go to.
So what makes Kathy make the choices she does and react the way she does?
Well, the house, of course, is so much more than just a house. It's a tie to her father, who was maybe the only source of real love in her life and who's now gone. It's also an index of her failure, I think. She is someone who's struggling to feel that she has a place in this world and it's sort of like this house is her lifeboat that she's clinging to.
She's really desperate and I think that her depression and her desperation spiral in this vortex because she has no one to bounce anything off of. She has no one to reach out to. Some of that is her own fault because she's proud and she doesn't want to admit her own failure, and some of it is because she is one of these characters who encounters so much judgment. She is a character who has been an addict and she's been left by her husband. I think the movie is largely about how we judge these characters who are on the fringes of society.
What was it like working with Sir Ben Kingsley?
He's fantastic to work with. I have the utmost respect for him as an actor. He's really fantastic and lovely to be around. He's kind to everyone. There's nothing difficult about him. He's just a joy, really a joy. It was really interesting for me to watch him work. It's really the sign of an experienced and intelligent actor to me who knows that a remarkable performance isn't necessarily about milking every single scene and sort of wringing the most out of every scene that he could. I found him to be very confident, and rightly so. He knows there's a place for everything, and it's largely about structure and how performance is structured that gives it its impact when the film is put together. Even though I was working with him scene by scene, it still took me back when I watched the film. The way it comes together is really remarkable.
DreamWorks has backed this picture in an uncompromising way. There's no sentimental ending, no happy Hollywood ending sell-out. This film is what it is...
Yes, I think it's great. I think it was essential to this movie. I think it would have really taken away the whole point of the movie had the movie chosen a winner. I think it was essential that it didn't, and I think it's great that the studio has supported the movie as much as they have.
House Of Sand And Fog is released in UK cinemas on Friday 27th February 2004.
