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Reviews Counted:167
Fresh:110
Rotten:57
Average Rating:6.5/10
Consensus: Despite some fine performances, The Kite Runner is just shy of rendering the magic of the novel on to the big screen.
Theatrical Release:26-12-2007
Synopsis: Based on the international bestseller by Khaled Hosseini, THE KITE RUNNER is a fascinating historical epic set in 20th-century Afghanistan. In 1978, Amir (Zekiria Ebrahimi) and Hassan (Ahmad Khan... [More]
Starring: Khalid Abdalla, Homayoun Ershadi, Shaun Toub, Atossa Leoni
Director: Marc Forster
The film’s belief in the power of redemption and its subtle assertion of the need for moral courage in personal (or political) conflict, is never allowed to get in the way of its boldly told, intelligent, informed and affecting story.
Top CriticA cracking final 20 minutes leave you realising what an evil bunch of idiots the Taliban really are.
Top CriticBased on Khaled Hosseini's highly regarded novel, this story of exile, ambition and betrayal has an emotional power that outstrips its occasional implausibilities.
An engaging melodrama whose less convincing plot points are superseded by some astonishingly affecting performances from the mostly unknown cast.
Top CriticThe third of the film given to the boys’ childhood adventures is excellent, both kids fully convincing as pals who’ll never part.
Perhaps he might have been tougher but that might have rendered the film less digestible.
Forster takes few liberties with Hosseini's novel: it's a straightforward, anadorned adaptation with the much of the dialogue in Persian and a capable non-starry cast.
An enthralling piece of cinema.
Top CriticThe film deftly spans the cruelty of Afghan history, from the Soviet invasion to Taliban desolation.
Impressively directed and superbly written, this is a moving emotional drama with strong performances from its two young leads.
A workmanlike, if decaffeinated version of Khaled Hosseini's bestselling novel.
Top CriticAdapted for the screen with sensitivity by Benioff and Forster, drawing raw performances from the cast.
Showcasing a welcome lack of big-budget attitude, The Kite Runner makes up for its small flaws with an engaging, thought-provoking story and a willingness to tackle some very dark issues.
Top CriticWhilst some of the vivid detail in Khalid Hosseini's best-selling novel does get lost in translation, director Marc Forster hits all the emotional high notes.
Top CriticThe film retains the novel's universal elements, but some of the political specifics get lost in translation
The measured mise-en-scène is fine for the boyhood scenes. Character-building alternates with brief bursts of image music, such as the kite-flying contest that fills the Kabul sky with darting, colourful fabric-birds.
There's something timid and tasteful about the filmmaking which struck me as pretty mendacious, in a story about a blood bond severed by rape and mended, a generation on, by a rather too tidy act of atonement.
Top CriticClick to read the article
Top CriticNuanced perfs and standout production design convey story in cinematic terms, preserving the narrative's emotional power and historical sweep as it spans continents and decades.
Top CriticA film of exhilarating, redemptive humanity, conveying an enduring sense of hope.
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