The Kite Runner

Based on the acclaimed novel by Khaled Hosseini, The Kite Runner follows newly-published author Amir (Khalid Abdalla) as he attempts to atone for a childhood error in judgment when a close friend’s son finds himself in a sticky situation. Director Marc Forster, working from David Benioff’s screenplay, has infused the early part of The Kite Runner with a lighthearted sensibility that admittedly grows a little tedious, as the filmmaker places a repetitive emphasis on Amir and said close friend’s adolescent misadventures within their homeland of Afghanistan. There’s little doubt, however, that the inclusion of increasingly heartwrenching elements (eg the aforementioned childhood mistake) ensures that the film slowly-but-surely begins to pack a palpable (and unexpected) emotional punch, and there is, as well, certainly no denying the effectiveness of the father-son relationship between Amir and his pop that dominates The Kite Runner‘s midsection. In the end, it’s Abdalla’s masterful performance as Amir, as well as the surprisingly thrilling finale, that cements the movie’s status as an affecting and downright riveting piece of work.

**** out of ****