Street Date: March 25

Official Synopsis:
The best selling novel is now one of the most acclaimed movies of the year. As young boys, Amir and Hassan were inseparable friends, until one fateful act tore them apart. Years later, Amir will embark on a dangerous quest to right the wrongs of the past - and redeem himself in ways he never expected - by displaying the ultimate in courage and devotion to his friend. Directed by Marc Forster (Finding Neverland, Monster's Ball), "The Kite Runner allows us to believe that there may be justice in the world"(Richard Corliss, Time).  

Our Take:
It’s easy to see why The Kite Runner would win a Heartland “Truly Moving Picture” Award, but this film is simply standard melodramatic fare.  It tells a tale of childhood friends who are at opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of social standing.  As a result, the boys’ friendship is tested and one friend turns out to be a very bad friend.  This set up the third act of the movie where the “bad” friend, now all grown up gets to play hero and redeems himself so the audience can go home happy.  The “feel good” pandering to the American masses is kicked up a notch as the film provides clear distinctions between “good” Arabs and “bad” Arabs as the film’s action takes place primarily in pre-9/11 Afghanistan (these scenes were shot in China).  This setting allows the film to push a somewhat belated message of how evil the Taliban were/are that would allow those in favor of the present war to feel justified.  This message also placates the more liberal members of the audience because it paints a balanced portrait that undercuts any sense of “us vs. them,” although the third act featuring the now Americanized Arab American character going back to rescue a child from his now treacherous homeland comes pretty damn close.

The film’s politics aside, The Kite Runner is excellently acted and expertly directed by Marc Forster.  It is hard to believe that Forster directed such varied works as Monster’s Ball and Stranger Than Fiction before this film and whose current project is the latest big budget installment of the James Bond series.   Forster’s ability to direct children as evidenced in Finding Neverland has reached a high point in The Kite Runner as Zekeria Ebrahimi and Ahmad Khan Mahmidzada give terrific performances.  Their childhood friendship is one of unrequited devotion, jealousy, joy, and guilt.  These two actors are so good that the film takes a significant dip as the story progresses and they are off the screen.  Zekeria Ebrahimi as Amir is the standout of the film.  His ability to bring compassion to such an unlikable character astounded me.  Forster flexes his stylistic muscles in the kite flying scenes as the children wage aerial warfare with their kites and try to “cut” their opponents’ kites.  The kite battles are elegantly shot with swooping camera movements, but luckily disorienting point-of-view shots are not utilized, making the sequences far more powerful than the average fighter plane dogfights in your standard summer war movie.  The film’s story may feel emotionally exploitative, but the acting is genuine enough to rise above it.

The Kite Runner comes to DVD with the following bonus material:

* Commentary with Marc Forster, Khaled Hosseini and David Benioff.

* Public Service Announcement with Khaled Hosseini (1 minute) – Asking viewers to support various Non-Governmental Organizations that work towards a healthy, stable Afghanistan

* Words from The Kite Runner (15 minutes) – Featurette detailing the significance of the novel the film is based on.

* Images from The Kite Runner (25 minutes) – An interesting making-of featurette.

* Theatrical Trailer.

The Kite Runner may be slightly overrated, but it is still a film worth seeing.  It is an excellently acted and sharply directed film, even if the story’s message lands just this side of propaganda.  Fans of Forster’s other films, especially his work with the child actors in Finding Neverland, are sure to enjoy the latest from this eclectic director.

Overall Picture:
Movie: B
DVD: B

- Matthew Orlando
Staff Writer