Adapted from the Khaled Hosseini's bestselling novel,
The Kite Runner is the story of two childhood friends, priviledged Amir (Zekeria Ebrahimi) and the son of his father's servant, Hassan (Ahmad Khan Mahmidzada) in 1970s Afghanistan, and Amir's lifelong quest for redemption after an act of betrayal rips the two apart. Helmed by acclaimed director
Marc Forster (
Stranger Than Fiction, Finding Neverland),
The Kite Runner has been more than eagerly anticipated by the book's many fans. Unfortunately, I think this rendition is bound to disappoint. While the movie does provide a humanizing and accessible window into Afghan culture--particularly showing how Western it was before the Taliban came to power, the movie has a hard time hitting the right pitch. White I know the kite flying scenes are meant to be beautiful, I actually found the races (meant to be peaks of thematic tension) rather dull. Source of so much controversy, the rape scene was very harsh and hard to watch. And ultimately, the movie attempted to be entirely too epic for its own good. Mostly the movie is just fine, but unless you're a die-hard fan desperate to see Hosseini's story on screen,
The Kite Runner is probably a pass.
ReelzChannel Rating: 