The Kite Runner (2007)

Two Afghan children, one Amir (Zekeria Ebrahimi) the son of a wealthy merchant (Homayoun Ershadi in a superb performance) and the other Hassan (Ahmad Khan Mahmoodzada in a winning performance) the son of the family servant, are childhood best friends. But the merchant's son has no backbone and betrays his friend in an unforgivable act that he will have to deal with the rest of his life. Based on the best seller by Khaled Hosseini and directed by Marc Forster (MONSTER'S BALL), this is a powerful film that pulls no punches. The main problem I have with it is that the protagonist never owns up to his heinous act and while he attempts to redeem himself in the end, it doesn't or shouldn't let him off the hook though the film seems to forgive him. The film's last half hour is a wee bit disappointing in that it becomes a standard action film as the adult Amir (Khalid Abdalla, UNITED 93) returns to Afghanistan to right a wrong. But for the most part, it's an involving tale of friendship, shame and redemption. The effective score is by Alberto Iglesias and excellent cinematography by Roberto Schaefer (QUANTUM OF SOLACE) with China standing in for Afghanistan. With Atossa Leoni as Abdalla's wife.