The Kite Runner

This faithful and powerful adaptation of Khaled Hosseini’s bestseller traces an Afghan man’s journey to redemption. Amir is a privileged 12-year-old boy whose best friend (and servant) is Hassan. 1978 Kabul is their playground, but a terrible incident puts Amir’s loyalty to Hassan to the test. Years later Amir is living in the US, and in 2000 he is drawn back to now Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. Remarkable central performances, especially by the non-professional child actors, and evocative design convincingly translate the novel to the screen.