The Kite Runner

Yesterday, I finally was able to view the movie, “The Kite Runner.” I wanted to see it so bad after reading about the reception that the movie received in Cannes last year. Another film that is similar in that is also shows life in Afghanistan during the Taliban rule is the movie "Osama." It is a movie about a girl in Afghanistan who is disguised as a boy so that she and her mother can work to survive. It was a real tearjerker for me some years ago, and reminded me of the freedoms that we women now take for granted here in the USA.

I was so surprised to find the "The Kite Runner" DVD at my local neighborhood library, but I have not read the book yet. The book by the same name, is written by Khaled Hosseini, who had a small cameo role near the end of the movie. But the story was beautifully told, and had me crying too, which rates as a good movie in my book. To me, the universal concept of redemption is very prominent in the film. Unfortunately, everyone does not see it that way. Controversy did surround the movie upon its release. The young actors that played the bullies in the movie had to be relocated out of the country because of fears for their safety. The family members of one of the actors, also unsuccessfully requested that the rape scene be removed from the film too.

One person that really had me riveted to the screen was the actor that played the father, Baba. His name is Homayoun Ershadi, and is an excellent actor and architect.

But I was very struck about the resemblance that Ershadi had in the movie to the actors Armand Assante and Al Pacino. But they all do share the same intensity when they flesh out a character.

As seen below in the Los Angeles premiere picture, Ershadi in the middle with the other actors from the movie, (Left-Khalid Abdalla (Adult Amir), and Right-Shaun Toub (played Rahim Kahn) does not remotely resemble the Baba character in real life.

Saïd Taghmaoui who played Farid the driver who takes Amir to Afghanistan to rescue his nephew Sohrab, is also well know for his roles in “Three Kings,” and “Hidalgo.” To me, he is one fine actor that can easily play Middle Eastern and Hispanic characters with ease.