Review of The Kite Runner (2007) by David M — 26 Apr 2012

The Kite Runner is a heart warming tale that relies solely on its story to keep you interested, which is a bold strength and an occasional flaw. There are moments of intrigue, action, and heartbreak, most of it earned, and a few artificial instances that ring as hollow as the CGI kites. This is directed by the mult-faceted Marc Forster who after this film has seemed determined to ruin his career with action movies. David Benioff's scripts always have an emotionally distant and cold over-calculated feel, and that was my main problem with the movie. Moments that should've pulled tears didn't quite connect, not so much miss, but just a little off.

Kite Runner is based on a best-selling novel of the same name, that tells the story of two childhood friends who separate after a horrible incident of prejudice, and never have the chance to meet again due to tragic circumstances. It uses flashbacks and forwards to tell a tale that perhaps sprawls a bit much, and has some incidences of coincidence that shall I say are cliched. Movies like Incendies use this formula to greater effect for me. It also uses the destruction and pillaging of a once beautiful country in Afghanistan as the backdrop for the heartfelt story. By downplaying big moments, and shying away from some of the chliches it knows it is using, Kite Runner succeeds on a lot of levels.