Running with the Story

"The Kite Runner" is the kind of film that has a strong enough story, it doesn't need to rely on special film making gimmicks to make it interesting, I was enraptured in it from the very beginning.

The story concerns two child hood friends named Amir and Hassan who live in Afghanistan in the late seventies. This was before the country was overrun by the Taliban or even invaded by the Russians. The two boys are like kindred spirits, Amir the more educated one likes to tell stories and Hassan loves to listen to them. But their favorite recreation is kite flying where they compete with many of the other children. The object is to cut the other kite's thread until yours is the only one left standing. Hassan has a special gift and always knows where the kites land so he can run and claim it as a prize. However one day something happens to Hassan that Amir witnesses that changes the course of their friendship forever.

Soon after these events Amir and his father must smuggle themselves to America as the Russians invade, while Hassan and his father stay in Afghanistan.

The story then becomes more of Amir's as we see him grow up in America to become the writer he is destined to be. He meets a lovely woman whom he marries, but soon his past catches up with him as he now must confront his life with Hassan once again.

As I was watching this film I felt as if I was reading a really good book, and that shouldn't be any surprise since it is based on a popular bestseller, but I was intrigued with this story and compelled to know what would happen next. It held me to the very end. There are many surprises and twists along the way, and the themes of friendship, family, loyalty, and redemption are all treated with just the right tone. Some of the twists may seem a little far fetched but by that time, the whole world of the story takes hold of you that you don't really care and just go with it.

I also don't want to leave out an important sub-plot between Amir and his father. The father/son relationship is what turns Amir into the man he is to become and their love and understanding for each other is what makes this film so special. It is also Amir's father that holds a secret about Hassan that becomes so important with the climax of the film.

This film doesn't come with any sort of baggage. All the actors are unknown and most of the language is in subtitles. Marc Forster the director has made some pretty good movies in the past like "Finding Neverland" and "Stranger Than Fiction", and he brings the same kind of emotion with this film as he did with those. This is the kind of film for people who think they don't make good movies anymore. This is a story that should be told and one that will keep you interested.

4 stars out of 4