The Kite Runner (2007) 
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Friday, June 20, 2008
Based on the international bestseller by Khaled Hosseini, THE KITE RUNNER is a fascinating historical epic set in 20th-century Afghanistan. In 1978, Amir (Zekiria Ebrahimi) and Hassan (Ahmad Khan Mahmoodzada) are young boys living in Kabul, where Hassan and his father, Ali (Nabi Tanha), work as servants for Amir and his father, Baba (Homayoun Ershadi). Amir and Hassan make an excellent team in kite competitions, with Hassan having a gift for running kites, but after one contest, he is bullied by Assef (Elham Ehsas), who does unspeakable things to him as Amir watches from a distance and then runs away, not helping his friend. As the Russians and then the Taliban take over Afghanistan, Baba and Amir escape to America, where they make a new home in San Francisco. But even as he graduates from college and meets a beautiful young woman, Soraya (Atossa Leoni), who is also from Kabul, Amir (now played by Khalid Abdalla) is haunted by his cowardice and can't turn down an opportunity to try to make things right when it is offered by his father's old friend Rahim Khan (Shaun Toub)--even if it means risking his life. THE KITE RUNNER was adapted for the screen by David Benioff (THE 25TH HOUR), with much of the dialogue spoken in Dari, one of the primary languages in Afghanistan. Director Marc Foster (MONSTER'S BALL, FINDING NEVERLAND) does a deft job navigating the complicated story, which moves from Afghanistan to San Francisco and Pakistan (with much of the film actually shot in China), using many nonprofessional actors and a subtle score composed by Alberto Iglesias. Ebrahimi and Mahmoodzada make impressive debuts, with solid work by Abddalla, Leoni, and especially Ershadi.
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Uplifting
Ciaran from Dublin, 12 Sep 2008
A magical motion picture and a good reason to own a DVD player. I haven't read the book but if the screen adaptation is anything to go by then it must be a magnificent read. It is as sad as people say but it never manipulates. The story moves from the past, when the two boys played in the libving streets of Kaboul, to the present, when one is in America and the other out of sight but never forgotten. It's heartwrenching, uplifting and powerful all at once. Do not let this one pass you by.
6 people out of 8 found this review helpful
Almost as good as the book
Feargal from Meath, 25 Aug 2008
So often in the past we've seen the rights to a bestselling novel snapped up by a major studio and then hacked to pieces by pressurised and formulaic Hollywood scriptwriters, resulting in a film that absolutely unrecognisable and ultimately disappointing. This is one of the few that is almost as good as the book which was one of the best tomes written in recent years. A good film but don't miss out on a fantastic read.
3 people out of 4 found this review helpful
The Kite Runner
D from Galway, 02 Aug 2008
Enjoyable film, not great. good storyline nicely told.timekiller more than a blockbuster.
3 people out of 3 found this review helpful
The Kite Runner
Sophia from Mayo, 19 Nov 2009
I had heard this movie was very different to the book but was pleasantly surprised to see that what I'd heard was untrue. I thought the movie was excellent and was completely moved almost as much as I was by the book. The child actor playing 'Hassan' is exactly like I imagined he would be and all scenes from the book were included except for one of the more disturbing ones (suicide attempt) towards the end of the book (which I did not mind missing out on). All in all a great watch!
2 people out of 3 found this review helpful
fantastic
Colette from Kilkenny, 16 Jun 2008
I cannot recommend this film highly enough. I am not one to get out alot of moving dramas, but this is worth it. A film about a special friendship between two afghan boys in the 1980's. You forget about the fact that you are reading subtitles after about 20mins. One of the boys performance is so moving i actaully burst out crying.
The film moves forward to modern day where the story gets its ending
2 people out of 2 found this review helpful
The Kite Runner
Shane from Wicklow, 11 Aug 2008
This movie tells the story of Amir, formerly from Kabul, who after getting an unexpected phonecall from an old friend, must return to his homeland in a quest for repentance. The movie tells a story of the innocence of children, the brutality, abandonment, guilt and eventually redemption. A Great watch despite the fact that not all of the book could fit in the movie.
2 people out of 2 found this review helpful
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