I thought this was an incredibly moving story. The acting was believable, and the insight into Afghan culture was interesting as well as shocking. It also had all the main points from the novel and was translated from the book to the movie well. The movie succeeds in putting a human face on what happened in Afghanistan creating more understanding. The themes of friendship, family, human values, and courage are well developed in the film.
The picture that was created in the film was incredible. The creation of what Afganistan looks like was deep and moving. From the desert to the shabby towns the film gave you an understanding of what it is really like to be in Afganistan. I liked how in the movie they were very detail. For example when driving they had the Taliban on the road inspecting cars and carrying guns everywhere. The costumes of the characters added and helps one understand the culture of Afghans. It was the little things that brought the film to life.
The acting was amazing, and, above all, it was a heart-wrenching story. I would definitely recommend this movie to anyone, wheather they have read the book or not.
Monday, January 18, 2010
** 1/2 Star Rating Review
I give the film 'The Kite Runner' a two and a half star rating because I felt as though it did not capture the richness that the book did. There was a large chunk of the book that was cut out of the movie that made the book so good. As hard as it is to follow a book with a movie the director did not do their job in capturing the message of the novel.
While the movie captured all of its plot points, I felt that it captured none of the richness that made the book so wonderful. It just didn’t work for me. Very little was changed, but the things that were changed made little sense: for instance Assef was not the pedophile making the speech in the stadium in the film as he was in the book, which to me lessened his impact in the film. Also, the film left out the part when Soharb tries to kill himself and how they have to stay longer in Afganistan because they can not get Soharb a visa to the U.S Lastly, while the book at many references to the poverty the film did not capture the living conditions and what the people had to go through with the Taliban. The film did capture all the plot points, yet it didn't seem to develop in a way the book did.
As a critic I would recommend to only see this movie if you have not read the book. After reading the book, the movie did not speak out to me the way the book did.
** 1/2 Star Rating
While the movie captured all of its plot points, I felt that it captured none of the richness that made the book so wonderful. It just didn’t work for me. Very little was changed, but the things that were changed made little sense: for instance Assef was not the pedophile making the speech in the stadium in the film as he was in the book, which to me lessened his impact in the film. Also, the film left out the part when Soharb tries to kill himself and how they have to stay longer in Afganistan because they can not get Soharb a visa to the U.S Lastly, while the book at many references to the poverty the film did not capture the living conditions and what the people had to go through with the Taliban. The film did capture all the plot points, yet it didn't seem to develop in a way the book did.
As a critic I would recommend to only see this movie if you have not read the book. After reading the book, the movie did not speak out to me the way the book did.
** 1/2 Star Rating
Analysis, Editing
After watching the film 'The Kite Runner' I would say the editing was not terrible but could have been much better. As a viewer, it seemed very choppy when going from one scene to the next, there were sometimes a pause of black between scenes, a lot from the book was left out, and the flashbacks were hard to follow. Other than that the editing was decent throughout the movie.
The editing would have been much more efficient if the flashbacks and such were easier to follow. It was a creative idea to start the movie with the ending scene, but I thought that since we had already seen the same scene at the beginning the ending didn't give me that lasting impression that good movies should give you. To improve this error I would suggest that the editor have the same opening and closing scene but slightly change the ending scene by adding a little more. I would also suggest doing not so many present to past flashbacks. A few is alright but with too many it gets overwhelming.
I also thought that the editor edited too much out from the book. There were many key parts from the book that were not even mentioned in the movie. For example Amir talk a lot about how he visited the poorest of the poor in huts on his journey to rescue Soharb. I think that if scenes were added to the film to show the viewer what the poor people were going through it would help get the message across and give us a very in depth visual of what is really going on in present day Afghanistan today.
Over all, the editing could have been improved to make a better quality movie. I believe this movie could be magnificent with a little more description and a little less flashbacks.
The editing would have been much more efficient if the flashbacks and such were easier to follow. It was a creative idea to start the movie with the ending scene, but I thought that since we had already seen the same scene at the beginning the ending didn't give me that lasting impression that good movies should give you. To improve this error I would suggest that the editor have the same opening and closing scene but slightly change the ending scene by adding a little more. I would also suggest doing not so many present to past flashbacks. A few is alright but with too many it gets overwhelming.
I also thought that the editor edited too much out from the book. There were many key parts from the book that were not even mentioned in the movie. For example Amir talk a lot about how he visited the poorest of the poor in huts on his journey to rescue Soharb. I think that if scenes were added to the film to show the viewer what the poor people were going through it would help get the message across and give us a very in depth visual of what is really going on in present day Afghanistan today.
Over all, the editing could have been improved to make a better quality movie. I believe this movie could be magnificent with a little more description and a little less flashbacks.
Casting Call #3
Director-
I believe that Ayush Mahesh Khedekar would be a great candidate to play the character of Hassan in his younger years in our film 'The Kite Runner'. First of all, he has the look of the character we are trying to portray. His look will help show the culture of the Middle East and create a more realistic image in the viewer. Secondly he seems to be very talented and coachable for his young age. He did an excellent job in his previous movie, 'Slumdog Millionaire'. I think he has the ability and can succeed the standards we give him. Ayush Mahesh Khedekar put a spark in my mind for his look and talent in acting. Please consider my request with great care.
-Thanks
Casting Call #2
Director-
I would like to suggest Oliver James as an actor to play the role of Amir jan in his older years. James has the Middle Eastern look that we are searching for in the character. I believe with Oliver we have the chance to produce a well cultured Afghan. His ability to act is incredible. Raise Your Voice and What a Girl Wants are his two previous films he had roles in. In both films he played a kid falling in love with a girl. Part of the story in The Kite Runner is when Amir falls in love and marries Soraya. On top of all this, Oliver James has not had his actor break through so we can save a lot of money having him as one of the main characters. Please consider my opinion with much thought.
-Thanks
Casting Call #1
Director-
Jackson Brundage would be a great actor to consider for the role of Amir in his younger years. I know he does not have the exact look we are striving for, but with a little make up and editing I think we can make it possible. Jackson Brundage plays the character Jamie on the hit TV show One Tree Hill. His character on the show has a keen sense of knowledge, especially for his age. He makes mistakes but learns from them as well. Jackson's character Jamie similar to our character Amir in his younger years in a sense that they are both smart kids that make mistakes in their childhood. I believe it would be an easy transition for Jackson so he wouldn't need as much coaching as the others. Please strongly consider Jackson Brundage as an option for our film.
-Thanks
Anaylsis, Art Direction
The Art Director did a fantastic job capturing the look of Afghanistan. From the people to the city, the set looked as though it came right out of the worldly news we see every day. I also liked how the movie gave the viewers the real picture. The harshness and cruelty of the Taliban was not softened and it was a huge eye opener. We all knew it was bad over seas. The film The Kite Runner actually showed us how bad it was.
The set of the city and country Afghanistan was a riveting scene in the film. The city looked like it had been through a massive storm because of all the destruction. Houses that were lob sided and about to fall down lined the streets, while markets and thousands of people walked every which way. Another element that helped create visual in the movie was the fact that half of the movie was spoken in the language of Afghanistan. Although it was sometimes hard to understand even with the sub title the speaking of the language brought out the culture of Afghanistan.
I believe the way the Director portrayed the scenes helped bring out the message of the story. If they would not have been so descriptive with the costumes we would not have gotten the message of how bad it actually is over in the Middle East Countries. When evaluating Art Direction I would say the Director did an excellent job.
The set of the city and country Afghanistan was a riveting scene in the film. The city looked like it had been through a massive storm because of all the destruction. Houses that were lob sided and about to fall down lined the streets, while markets and thousands of people walked every which way. Another element that helped create visual in the movie was the fact that half of the movie was spoken in the language of Afghanistan. Although it was sometimes hard to understand even with the sub title the speaking of the language brought out the culture of Afghanistan.
I believe the way the Director portrayed the scenes helped bring out the message of the story. If they would not have been so descriptive with the costumes we would not have gotten the message of how bad it actually is over in the Middle East Countries. When evaluating Art Direction I would say the Director did an excellent job.
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