[WiltsAKGirl17]

The Kite Runner

This is, without a doubt, the best movie I've seen in years, probably ever. Based on the book of the same name by Khaled Hossieni, it's about a young boy named Amir growing up in Afghanistan shortly before the Russian invasion in the 70's. A major aspect of the first third of the film is his relationship with his friend and servant, Hassan. The acting between the boys who played Amir and Hassan was amazing, and they were adorable.

The music was amazing, as was the scenery and the scenes of the kite competiton, an Afghan tradation banned by the Taliban when they came to power. But what I loved about the film the most was that most of it was spoken in Arabic, with English subtitles. While it threw my dad off (even though he only watched ten minutes of the film at the beginning and ending), and the subtitles bugged my stepmom, I enjoyed it-- hearing the Arabic added the realism found in Hossieni's novel. (What I mean by that is that Hossieni wrote The Kite Runner in first person, and so convincingly that one has to forcibly remind themselves that this is a work of FICTION, not a memoir or an autobigraphy.) I also like that the film was able to do well without ANY big-name, A-list celebrities-- the actors carried their own weight, and did AMAZINGLY as his/her character.

However, the film is not without its sadness. It's rated PG-13, in part for the sexual assault of a child-- a major event/turning point in the book and the film. Not graphically depicted, but enough to garner tears. Later, in the film's final act, an older Amir witnesses a stoning in Modern Day Afghanistan. Although you see it coming and know it's not going to be pretty, you still can't help but gasp and cover your mouth with both hands and cry-- I did so.

Overall, The Kite Runner was an amazing film-- not TOTALLY faithful to Hossieni's novel, but what film adaptation is? VERY HIGHLY recommened-- four stars.