The Kite Runner

Director Marc Forster (Quantum of Solace, Finding Neverland) directed this highly acclaimed film
based on the novel of the same name, written by Khaled Hosseini. Adapted for the screen by David
Benioff -- who showed some previous chops in the adaptation realm when he turned Homer's "Iliad"
into the blockbuster "Troy" -- this simple and deeply troublesome story follows two boys growing
up in Afghanistan, and the drastically different paths their lives will take.

Amir, the well-to-do, foofy, and creative Pashtun kid; and Hassan, the lowly son of Amir's
family's servant, are the best of friends. Hassan, while the smaller of the two, often protects
his BFF from the numerous bullies who stalk the city. But a particularly horrible incident
befalls Hassan, an incident that Amir witnesses, impotently frozen in terror. Their friendship is
sadly torn apart as Amir soon realizes that Hassan's presence is a constant reminder of his own
cowardice. Soon thereafter, Russia invades their country and Amir's father brings him to America,
and the two boys will never meet again.

Many years later, Amir, now a succesful writer living in San Francisco, has used his abject
whimpiness to achieve an almost Alan-Alda-like level of sensitivity. He's married to a lovely
lady, life is good, but a phonecall from his homeland opens old wounds, and Amir decides to return
to the Middle East. Propelled by his well-deserved guilt, the sour-faced Amir dons a beard
(increasing his already uncanny resemblance to a Team America marionette) and heads into the
Taliban-controlled Kabul City, there he must face old demons, old enemies, and redeem himself in
his own eyes.

All right, I've taken some jabs, but frankly this film does have a lot of surprises that I don't
want to pimp out, so I respect it enough to put a lid on some of the spoilers. Amir finally does
come to terms with his sissiness, but for me it was rather unsatisfying in its execution. And
there are more than a few clunky moments, but they are offset by some very poignant scenes, so it
all comes out in the wash. There are indeed some kite-flying sequences in the film that lend the
movie its title, just try not to notice that the kids are flying their kites without any actual
wind. The locations are used with great effect, although I think the art director went a little
nutty on the color sheme -- never have I seen so many vibrant colors so meticulously placed in a
street bazaar.

The Kite Runner, with its flaws, is a tragic but hopeful film that effectively deliver some
powerful life messages for adults to ponder, and the PG-13 rating should be heeded, probably too
intense for those younger viewers. The Blu-ray DVD transfer is of unsurpassed quality, and
features audio commentary by the writers and director, as well as other extras.