Director Marc Foster ("Finding Neverland") adapts Khaled Hosseini’s novel and retains its biggest flaw, the loss of the narrative’s most compelling character Hassan.
Set during the last days of Afghanistan's monarchy child actor Ahmad Khan Mahmoodzada plays Hassan, the story’s protagonist apparent and son of a servant to the father of his best friend Amir (Zekiria Ebrahimi).
Hassan’s renowned gift for recovering kites won during the popular Afghan game of kite fighting makes him an ideal friend to Amir until Hassan’s rape at the hands of local bullies exposes the limits of Amir’s friendship. Rather than facing his betrayal of Hassan, Amir irreparably deepens the rift before leaving Afghanistan for America. It is only years later that Amir returns to Afghanistan to repent for his sins.
Stories of unethical treatment of its child actors by the filmmakers has tarnished "The Kite Runner" as a film made of the same brand of hubris that its lead character carries for most of the story.
Rated PG-13. 128 mins.
