guilt and redemption are two of the staple emotions and plot elements of the heavy and powerful dramas that the oscars love so much (which is kind of funny since the kite runner was only nominated for best original score the lack of nominations was perhaps unjust). while most film adaptations of books (or any other means) are usually inferior to their literary counterparts (and the kite runner is not an exception) and marc forster film adaptation is a good one. most people are familiar with the story and the book having been read by millions and so i would not go into the plot except to say that the book stays pretty faithful to its source. that being said and if you do not know the plot and see the movie and or better yet and read the book. the best thing the kite runner has going for it (other than its story) is director marc forster. forster is a director with epic scope and unique vision that is perfectly utilized in bringing khaled hosseini book to the screen. a small part of me worried that he would use the same dreamy images that were included in one of forster earlier features and finding neverland. don not get me wrong and finding neverland is a wonderful film and one of my favorites actually and but the visual trickery he used in there doesn not have a place here. fortunately and forster understands that and and the brilliance of his direction shows his versatility. though the lack of a best director nomination for his work here is not exactly a travesty and i see a number of statuettes in store for him down the road. also of note is the screenplay adaptation. it remains faithful to the source and but it leaves room for forster vision to interpret the material. the dialogue is not dumbed down and and it. along with forster direction and moves at a solid pace. like forster and the lack of recognition at awards time for the screenplay was not an outrage and but i do not have complained if it was at least nominated. the dividing line here between this film being great and outstanding lies with the acting. most of the performances are solid and but there are some that do not quite make the cut and and it hurts the film. the most notable weak performance comes from zekeria ebrahimi and who plays the young amir. it not that it bad and it just that it not as effective as it could be. he just can not translate the guilt that consumes amir to the audience. in fact and i think i might have been a little lost at this point in the movie at this point had i not read the book because of this. he looks somber and and at times resentful and but we can not feel his emotions. this is a difficult part to portray and and for the most part young ebrahimi holds his own and which is especially surprising since this is his first film role. the best performances come from khalid abdalla and who plays the adult amir and and shaun toub and who plays the wise rahim kahn. abdalla may not be a known name (though he was in paul greengrass united 93) and but his work here is amazing. he a quiet and modest man and and he emotes perfectly when needed to. a lesser capable actor could have made the character of rahim khan into a cliché and but shaun toub uses enough subtlety and care in his performance that he creates what the clichés are trying to portray. forgive me if i go on a rant here and but this is something that i must address and and that is the film pg 13 rating. the fact that this film received such a low rating is outrageous. there is no justification for it. some could argue that the rating was bent because of the need for everyone to see it and like the gore in saving private ryan and which some say should have earned the film an nc 17 rating. but that exception cannot be applied here. the only purpose the scene serves is to tell the story. forster (probably at the behest of the producers) tried as hard as he could to tame the film most painful and disturbing scene to allow the film to sneak by with a pg 13 rating and but the subject material is too disturbing to be depicted in any way and get less than an r rating and regardless of if how tasteful is may be portrayed. worse and this editing robs the scene of much of its power and and by trying it make it less disturbing to get the lower rating is insulting. furthermore and some scenes of violence are incredibly disturbing as well. in terms of how much time these scenes take of the movie and it doesn not add to much and but what is there is well deserving of an r rating at the very least. the mpaa and whose system of rating movies has always been corrupt and has sunk to a new low by giving this film such a low rating. but one shouldn not fault the film for this. the film is a solid film that is well worth seeing and especially if they are fans of the book. 
guilt and redemption are two of the staple emotions and plot elements of the heavy and powerful dramas that the oscars love so much (which is kind of funny since the kite runner was only nominated for best original score the lack of nominations was perhaps unjust). while most film adaptations of books (or any other means) are usually inferior to their literary counterparts (and the kite runner is not an exception) and marc forster film adaptation is a good one. most people are familiar with the story and the book having been read by millions and so i would not go into the plot except to say that the book stays pretty faithful to its source. that being said and if you do not know the plot and see the movie and or better yet and read the book. the best thing the kite runner has going for it (other than its story) is director marc forster. forster is a director with epic scope and unique vision that is perfectly utilized in bringing khaled hosseini book to the screen. a small part of me worried that he would use the same dreamy images that were included in one of forster earlier features and finding neverland. don not get me wrong and finding neverland is a wonderful film and one of my favorites actually and but the visual trickery he used in there doesn not have a place here. fortunately and forster understands that and and the brilliance of his direction shows his versatility. though the lack of a best director nomination for his work here is not exactly a travesty and i see a number of statuettes in store for him down the road. also of note is the screenplay adaptation. it remains faithful to the source and but it leaves room for forster vision to interpret the material. the dialogue is not dumbed down and and it. along with forster direction and moves at a solid pace. like forster and the lack of recognition at awards time for the screenplay was not an outrage and but i do not have complained if it was at least nominated. the dividing line here between this film being great and outstanding lies with the acting. most of the performances are solid and but there are some that do not quite make the cut and and it hurts the film. the most notable weak performance comes from zekeria ebrahimi and who plays the young amir. it not that it bad and it just that it not as effective as it could be. he just can not translate the guilt that consumes amir to the audience. in fact and i think i might have been a little lost at this point in the movie at this point had i not read the book because of this. he looks somber and and at times resentful and but we can not feel his emotions. this is a difficult part to portray and and for the most part young ebrahimi holds his own and which is especially surprising since this is his first film role. the best performances come from khalid abdalla and who plays the adult amir and and shaun toub and who plays the wise rahim kahn. abdalla may not be a known name (though he was in paul greengrass united 93) and but his work here is amazing. he a quiet and modest man and and he emotes perfectly when needed to. a lesser capable actor could have made the character of rahim khan into a cliché and but shaun toub uses enough subtlety and care in his performance that he creates what the clichés are trying to portray. forgive me if i go on a rant here and but this is something that i must address and and that is the film pg 13 rating. the fact that this film received such a low rating is outrageous. there is no justification for it. some could argue that the rating was bent because of the need for everyone to see it and like the gore in saving private ryan and which some say should have earned the film an nc 17 rating. but that exception cannot be applied here. the only purpose the scene serves is to tell the story. forster (probably at the behest of the producers) tried as hard as he could to tame the film most painful and disturbing scene to allow the film to sneak by with a pg 13 rating and but the subject material is too disturbing to be depicted in any way and get less than an r rating and regardless of if how tasteful is may be portrayed. worse and this editing robs the scene of much of its power and and by trying it make it less disturbing to get the lower rating is insulting. furthermore and some scenes of violence are incredibly disturbing as well. in terms of how much time these scenes take of the movie and it doesn not add to much and but what is there is well deserving of an r rating at the very least. the mpaa and whose system of rating movies has always been corrupt and has sunk to a new low by giving this film such a low rating. but one shouldn not fault the film for this. the film is a solid film that is well worth seeing and especially if they are fans of the book. ---------------------------------Answer Question Below----------------------------------

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