Cast: Khalid Abdalla, Atossa Leoni, Shaun Toub, Zekeria Ebrahimi, Ahmad Khan Mahmoodzada & Homayoun Ershadi
Director: Marc Forster
Rating:
Enetertainment Quotient: 40%
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 128 min
MPAA rating: PG 13

Synopsis:
Amar and Hassan are childhood friends in Kabul in 1970. Amar is son of an educated elite person Baba and Hassan is the son of a servant who works in Amar's house. Hassan is very loyal to Amar. Amar betrays him. The family of Amar had to relocate to USA after Russia invaded Afghanistan. One day Amar gets a call from his uncle to visit him in Pakistan. The rest of the story is about how Amar redeemed himself of the sins he committed in his childhood.

What is special about the film?
This film is about friendship, betrayal and redemption set in the backdrop of Russia invading Afghanistan during 1970s. 'There is a way to be good again' is the tagline of the film which talks about redemption. The kids who did the roles of Amar and Hassan are exceptionally talented. Amar is very cute and your heart will go out for the kid who played Hassan character. The kids in Iranian films are a delight to watch. Same is the case with the kids in this film. Music is exceptionally good. So is the cinematography. The final shot in the film which panoramic view from the kite is pretty good. So are the aerial shots of Afghanistan in 1970's.

The differences between the book and the movie:
I have read the book 'The Kite Runner' was little apprehensive before watching the film. But the director did justice to the book and adapted it onto the screen nicely.

1. The escape from Afghanistan to Pakistan is curtailed in the movie.
2. The flea market part of the film is curtailed and only the love thread of Amar is retained.
3. Amar's difficulties in getting a visa for the kid are removed in the film.

What I did not like in the film?
Kite flying and slingshots are two things that fascinate you when you read the book. As a kid Hassan threatens the villain by using his slingshot. And son of Hassan uses the same technique to make the villain blind during the latter part of the film. Son taking revenge on villain using the technique mastered by his father gives a nice payoff commercially. But it is not shot effectively enough to capitalize in the film. The escape episode from the house of villain should have been shot more effectively.

The scenes I liked?

1. The scene in which Hassan limps and hands over the kite to Amar after being molested.
2. The scene in which Baba stands up for a women in the vehicle.
3. The scene in which Amar gives piece of his mind to his father in law when asked about the boy and concludes it with a warning – "you will never again refer to him as "a Hazara boy" in my presence. He has a name, and it's Sohrab"

Tailpiece:
Hollywood has the habit of spoiling the adaptation of books from east when made into Hollywood films. But the director (Finding Neverland fame) made sure that he did not Hollywoodize the book. I loved the book and I loved the movie as well. 'The Kite Runner' is an excellent film on humanity, friendship, guilt and redemption.