DNfromMN --Movie Review-- The Kite Runner

THE KITE RUNNER

For those of you who read the book, I'm jealous. It's a great story of
friendship and the limits we place on friendship. Other people at the
screening were telling me it was a pretty faithful adaptation. I really
don't want to give anything away because I WANT YOU TO SEE THIS MOVIE.

It takes place in Kabul, Afghanistan and it follows the life story of
two kids, one of whom was wealthy and the other his servant and best
friend. The privileged kid (Amir) is a bit of a snot, he doesn't have
any other friends, and doesn't really grasp how to make and keep them.
Hassan, the servant boy, is already an outcast by being a different
race and being Shi'a Muslim, but would do anything for his friend.
These boys are inseparable. There is an event after the big kite
fighting contest that changes the friendship. One of the kids makes a
choice that significantly affects the other one. You'll be angry with
one of these kids, just livid. And he has to live with the choice he
made for the rest of his life.

So why do I want you to see this movie? Honestly, it's beautifully
made. Marc Forster did a wonderful job re-creating 1970s Kabul and the
acting is just top notch. Kid actors tend to bother me, and can ruin a
movie for me if they're too precious (the kid in Martian Child, Dakota
Fanning, etc.). The two kids they found are fantastic, they're just so
natural and real, I was entirely convinced they were best friends. The
adults are just stellar, as well.

The other reason I want you to see this movie, is because it is just
such a universal theme. The film is about our connection to other
people and the things that bring us closer and tear us apart.

The Kite Runner opens around Christmas, hopefully everywhere. See this
movie. It's worth a full price ticket ($10), it's a beautiful film, but
it's not for everyone. It is not light-hearted, and that's why it
doesn't get popcorn money.