Scan and Pan
Friday, January 11, 2008
The Kite Runner
In Afghanistan of the 1970s, boys Amir (Zekeria Ebrahimi) and Hassan (Ahmad Khan Mahmidzada) are friends who participate in the sport of kite fighting together. Amir is the son of a liberal-minded businessman (Homayoun Ershadi), while Hassan is the son of a family servant (Nabi Tanha). After a traumatic incident, the boys grow apart. When the Soviet army enters the country, Amir and his father flee to the United States. Years later, a now adult Amir (Khalid Abdalla) is called to Pakistan by his father's former business partner (Shaun Toub), where his life once again intersects with that of his childhood friend and his home country in unexpected ways.
Khaled Hosseini's bestselling novel is faithfully brought to the screen by scriptwriter David Benioff (25th Hour, Troy) and director Marc Forster (Monster's Ball, Finding Neverland), who previously collaborated on Stay, a film that made my Top 10 list for 2005. The story's powerful narrative about friendship and responsibility packs an emotional punch without pandering to sentiment, while providing a vivid look at life in Afghanistan in two very different eras. It starts out a bit slowly, but it's the carefully observed details of the first act that lends such strength to the redemptive final act, and the tension in the latter will have you on the edge of your seat. Forster's finely honed direction opens a window into the souls of the characters and their world, immersing the audience in an unfamiliar setting with clarity and conviction.
The crisp cinematography of Roberto Schaefer (Monster's Ball, Finding Neverland) is imbued with warmth in the early scenes, but becomes harsh and desolate when the adult Amir returns to a country now controlled by the Taliban. Because of the risk involved with filming in Afghanistan, the production was instead shot in western China, which production designer Carlos Conti (Wild Orchid, The Motorcycle Diaries) convincingly uses to recreate Afghanistan of the 1970s and 2000. The Eastern-influenced score by Alberto Iglesias (The Constant Gardener, Volver) effectively sets the mood for the story.
This is a character driven film, and so the burden of bringing it to life largely rests on the shoulders of its cast. Young Afghan actors Ebrahimi and Mahmidzada are very believable as Amir and Hassan, bringing authenticity and surprising depth to their performances. Ershadi delivers a memorable and at times dryly funny performance as Amir's father, while Toub is a warm presence as the father's business partner and friend. Abdalla is quite good as the adult Amir, who finally acts with the courage that failed him as a boy. Also noteworthy are Atossa Leoni as a woman the older Amir falls in love with; Qadir Farookh as her father, a former Afghan general; Maimoona Ghizal as her mother; Saïd Taghmaoui as Amir's guide when he returns home; Abdul Salam Yusoufzai as a Taliban member who Amir knew as a boy; Ali Dinesh as Hassan's son; and Tanha as Hassan's father.
If you're looking for an intelligent drama with skilled performances and genuine emotion, then look no further than The Kite Runner. It's a very good film, and one that could be a contender at awards time. One hopes that scriptwriter David Benioff and director Marc Forster will collaborate again in the future.
[4.5 out of 5 stars]
The best examples of storytelling convincingly transport the audience into another world and into the lives of the story's characters. This compelling drama successfully does that.
In Afghanistan of the 1970s, boys Amir (Zekeria Ebrahimi) and Hassan (Ahmad Khan Mahmidzada) are friends who participate in the sport of kite fighting together. Amir is the son of a liberal-minded businessman (Homayoun Ershadi), while Hassan is the son of a family servant (Nabi Tanha). After a traumatic incident, the boys grow apart. When the Soviet army enters the country, Amir and his father flee to the United States. Years later, a now adult Amir (Khalid Abdalla) is called to Pakistan by his father's former business partner (Shaun Toub), where his life once again intersects with that of his childhood friend and his home country in unexpected ways.
Khaled Hosseini's bestselling novel is faithfully brought to the screen by scriptwriter David Benioff (25th Hour, Troy) and director Marc Forster (Monster's Ball, Finding Neverland), who previously collaborated on Stay, a film that made my Top 10 list for 2005. The story's powerful narrative about friendship and responsibility packs an emotional punch without pandering to sentiment, while providing a vivid look at life in Afghanistan in two very different eras. It starts out a bit slowly, but it's the carefully observed details of the first act that lends such strength to the redemptive final act, and the tension in the latter will have you on the edge of your seat. Forster's finely honed direction opens a window into the souls of the characters and their world, immersing the audience in an unfamiliar setting with clarity and conviction.
The crisp cinematography of Roberto Schaefer (Monster's Ball, Finding Neverland) is imbued with warmth in the early scenes, but becomes harsh and desolate when the adult Amir returns to a country now controlled by the Taliban. Because of the risk involved with filming in Afghanistan, the production was instead shot in western China, which production designer Carlos Conti (Wild Orchid, The Motorcycle Diaries) convincingly uses to recreate Afghanistan of the 1970s and 2000. The Eastern-influenced score by Alberto Iglesias (The Constant Gardener, Volver) effectively sets the mood for the story.
This is a character driven film, and so the burden of bringing it to life largely rests on the shoulders of its cast. Young Afghan actors Ebrahimi and Mahmidzada are very believable as Amir and Hassan, bringing authenticity and surprising depth to their performances. Ershadi delivers a memorable and at times dryly funny performance as Amir's father, while Toub is a warm presence as the father's business partner and friend. Abdalla is quite good as the adult Amir, who finally acts with the courage that failed him as a boy. Also noteworthy are Atossa Leoni as a woman the older Amir falls in love with; Qadir Farookh as her father, a former Afghan general; Maimoona Ghizal as her mother; Saïd Taghmaoui as Amir's guide when he returns home; Abdul Salam Yusoufzai as a Taliban member who Amir knew as a boy; Ali Dinesh as Hassan's son; and Tanha as Hassan's father.
If you're looking for an intelligent drama with skilled performances and genuine emotion, then look no further than The Kite Runner. It's a very good film, and one that could be a contender at awards time. One hopes that scriptwriter David Benioff and director Marc Forster will collaborate again in the future.
[4.5 out of 5 stars]
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