Dec 21

Khaled Hosseini’s best selling-book, The Kite Runner tells the story of Afghanistan as seen through the eyes of Amir, a rich businessman’s son, and Hassan, his servant and friend.

Unsubtle, and told in broad strokes, The Kite Runner nonetheless manages to convey the decline of that country under the Soviet occupation and its savage rebirth under the Taliban after decades of civil war.

The principle story concerns the relationship between Amir and Hassan.  Although Amir is portrayed to be a good boy, he is often mean-spirited and uses his position of privilege and his educated wit to mock and challenge the doting Hassan. However, even through this Hassan loves Amir and would do anything for him.

Hassan and his father Ali live in a tiny hut adjoining the opulent home of Amir and his father, Baba.  Baba is a huge bear of a man (said to have wrestled a bear once himself) with a thick black beard and untamed hair.

Amir wants nothing but to impress his father and win his love – at all costs. He gets the opportunity when he wins a prestigious kite tournament, but that victory comes at a grave cost to Hassan and a deep betrayal by Amir.

Years later, after fleeing to America and becoming a successful author, Amir receives a call from his father’s closest friend Rahim Kahn, offering Amir the chance for redemption and a way to be good again.

That is how both the novel and Marc Forster’s 2007 film, The Kite Runner begin, but sadly they tell altogether different stories.
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Oct 3

There is no shortage of adjectives to describe The Diving Bell and The Butterfly. Words like amazing, astounding, triumphant, beautiful, harrowing and graceful are all appropriate.  Ultimately, though,  they do not do the film, nor the story it tells any justice.

The Diving Bell and The Butterfly is based on the autobiography of Jean-Dominique Bauby, a man who at age 43 found himself trapped inside a lifeless body, unable to move or speak and only able to blink his left eye. It tells the story of someone who, in spite of  that condition still manages to tell his story, one letter at a time when it would not be unreasonable to sink into utter desolation.

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Sep 24

My Blueberry Nights Poster

I feel I need to open this review with a confession: Prior to watching My Blueberry Nights I had never seen a film directed by Wong Kar-wai.  (I should also disclose that I have been known to enjoy the music of Norah Jones – please do not hold that against me!)

My Blueberry Nights marks the acting debut of Ms. Jones as well as the English language film debut of Wong Kar-wai.  Both have pretty much been on top of their fields (singing and Hong Kong film legend respectively), so I guess I started watching this film with somewhat inflated expectations.

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