On Movies: The Kite Runner

Almost a year back, I was walking in the Amsterdam Airport with a friend, and I noticed this book that apparently was creating all the buzz. My friend was looking for something to read in order to kill time on the 8 hour flight to Washington D.C, so I recommended that she buy the book ; Heck it might be a good read.I didnt , however ! I disregarded it as something that was trying to make money of the recent Afghanistan craze, like many other odd authors that I do not care to name !

I got the book when I got to the States. Surprisingly, the book was by far away from all standards of airport trash that you get.I really liked this one .It was a moving tale of redemption forgiveness and childhood memories that touched the heart.In a nutshell , I thought the Kite Runner was a brilliant, beautiful and simple story.

Khaled Hussaini does impress, and soon after I began looking for the next story in line by this writer, A 1000 Splendid Suns, which I began to read, but had to stop due to finals( ugh !) . And so far it has that same tone, that same language , that same ease that made its predecessor a success.

I came to know that the Kite Runner was being optioned to be made into a movie, and who was directing ?None other than Marc Forster , the guy who brought to us greats like Monster's Ball and Finding Neverland .

Aided by a scribe like David Benioff, it seemed like a pretty darn interesting crew.However, a lot of controversy ensued . There was a particular scene that generated a lot of ho-hum that was uncalled for because it was handled very carefully.The movie was banned in Afghanistan, and then later in the Arab World . The child actors had to flee the country .

I managed to get my hand on the DVD , around 3 months back and I watched the movie.I had a fear that a lot of the material in the book would be cut or lost in translation. Here is my verdict !The movie is great. I liked it . I t was one of those good Foriegn pictures that you see once in a while ! That being said ; I have a few remarks about the movie. The movie flows smoothly at the begining but, then feels rushed as soon as Amir and his dad flee to the US. The pace wasnt constant to me. Also , the character exploration could have been greater !

The movie showcased good supporting turns by Shaun Toub and Homayoun Ershadi and decent performances by the child actors. The soundtrack ,by Alberto Iglesias, is very oriental and also managed to snag a nod from the golden globes.

I enjoyed this movie -viewing experience , and I look forward to seeing 1000 Splenid Suns being made into a movie !