The Kite Runner Review –
4.5/5
Amazing.
Terrific. Electrifying. Words do not suffice in expressing how I found this
adaptation of Afghan American author, Khaled Hosseini’s novel by the same name.
The Kite
Runner tells the tale of Amir – a young Afghan boy growing up in Afghanistan amidst
tumultuous political events – the 1979 Russian invasion of Afghanistan, the
mass exodus of Afghan citizens to places of refuge, namely Pakistan and the
United States of America, and the genesis of the Taliban regime.
The
story opens up to decades later- when Amir, having fled from Afghanistan with
his father, following the 1979 Russian invasion, on the eve of a book tour of
his novel, receives a phone call from a family friend, who asks him to return
to his homeland in Afghanistan to help out the son of his childhood friend.
The film is told in a series of flashbacks,
tracing his childhood in Pakistan and the undying loyalty that bound these two
friends together embodied in one of the most memorable quotes of the film :
" For you, a thousand times over"
This
film had me cheering, sitting at the edge of my seat and metaphorically chewing
my popcorn a little faster – in the metaphorical sense. Everything about the film, from the actors,
the cinematography, soundtrack and all those technical and artistic elements
were great.
And what
added to the authenticity of the film was that some of the actors were locals,
despite most of the scenes being filmed outside Afghanistan (due to safety
reasons). It is a beautiful piece of work and I would recommend this if you’re
looking for a story of loyalty, friendship, betrayal, historical, actions,
romance… heck, just watch it already!
Imani
Dlamini
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* Image : http://www.imdb.com/
