Often, a book-to-movie adaptation is leaving the reader disappointed. Other times, such adaptations take many creative liberties and create an original offering that is askew from the book but entertaining in its own right. Then you have a film like, "The Kite Runner," which adapts the material faithfully and produces a respectable product in line with the written word. However, for those of you seeking greatness, this film isn't it.
Based on my opening remarks, you can correctly guess that my take on this film is a mixed bag. I found much of the film to be engaging and respectful to the audience but the first misstep came when the movie landed a PG-13 rating. This is 'R' material that is tucked away for the ratings board. Ironically, many of the themes of the story are disturbing and upsetting, which is why I think the rating does it a disservice. I will note that the adult content is handled with enough care so that it doesn't disturb the story (and as it is, you can make a case for an 'R' rating for this cut alone). The other misfire comes when dealing with kite flying in a cinematic venue; this just doesn't work. Many times, it's hard to follow what's going on up in the sky as a countless number of kites are strewn in the air. I understand these scenes had to be shown but perhaps they could have been limited a bit more? But I digress..
The movie is told in varying time frames, first starting in the present and then rather quickly moving to Kabul in the early 70s. The tale begins with the friendship between the well-off Amir and his servant, Hassan. The two are more friends than they are anything else and the early portions of the film depict this successfully. As the Afghans are quite into the hobby of kite flying, Amir and Hassan are no different and they enter a kite tournament that's held annually. The drama really begins after the tournament concludes and Amir is crowned the victor. We find out, painfully, that the victory is tainted due to a tragedy that happened to Hassan mere moments after the tournament. The torment is so awful that Amir can hardly face Amir any longer and thus they drift apart.
Before this. the bond between the two children, as it developed, was quite nice to see and the events that transpired were even more difficult to bear because of this. I found the acting to be natural and convincing and I appreciated the fact that the native dialect was spoken. Top honors need to be spread all the way around, especially for Amir's Baba, who is brilliantly realized in the story (and many could argue he was the center piece of the entire show).
Some of the better scenes take place after Amir and his father had fled Afghanistan due to the Russian invasion and landed in the United States. The grown up Amir acclimates to life in the U.S. and continues to dodge the expectations of his father. In one memorable scene, the two are celebrating Amir's college graduation at a bar amid boasts by his father that his son is now a graduate. In an attempt to deflate the massive expectations, Amir reminds his Baba that it is only community college where he received his diploma from. It's still college, his father reminds him.
Where the movie comes full circle is when Amir is given a chance to redeem the friendship gone astray by returning to Afghanistan to aid Hassan's family. At first reluctant, Amir's resolve grows stronger during this journey as he sets out to help the son of Hassan. In these moments, the film's production values portray a devastated Afghanistan under the Taliban rule quite effectively; the pain and sorrow is palpable. These segments make up the latter portion of the film and is quite a sinister but rewarding adventure.
I think "The Kite Runner" could have been a great movie. However, I think it fell short in this capacity due to a few awkward scenes, specifically in the very last one during the film, and some pacing issues that could have been tidied up. There are also some inconsistencies such as the Taliban allowing a soccer match (I thought they banned sports by 2000) and a somewhat hokey instance of a slingshot being used. What does earn it a recommendation, though, is the marvelous, award worthy acting and a well conceived story. While the book is better, the film gives it a run. I think had there been another 30 minutes attached to the running time, it would have served the material better.
Lastly, hard to explain but the soundtrack was off base with the film and I found it to be poorly spotted. While this alone isn't an interesting comment, factor in my glowing review of the score and how well it plays on its own and I think you'll be clued in to my puzzlement. Usually, a score is better in the film than it is on CD. Here, it's the opposite and I think a stunning opportunity was missed.
In the end, when you go see "The Kite Runner," don't expect an Academy Award effort from it. It's a very well made film that has a few flaws, but overall, it's worthwhile storytelling that does deserve an audience.
