The Kite Runner

The Kite Runner (2007)

The Kite Runner is the movie of the book of the same name, written in 2003 by Khaled Hosseini. It tells the very moving story of two boys in Kabul Afghanistan, their friendship and betrayal in childhood and what becomes of them as adults. I thought the movie did a fantastic job of portraying the essence, and the important parts of the book, as much as a movie adaptation can within a limited time frame. Fantastic performances too, especially from the young Afghan boys. 4/5

I don't think you have to read the book first, but it is certainly well worth the read . Often I prefer to read the book after the movie, as I get clear visuals in my head that add to the reading experience. I had read A Thousand Splendid Suns (2007). It would have to be one of my top reads of 2007 - I loved it's tale of women in Afghanistan and the incredible hardiships and unbearable life many were forced into leading. Truly a heart-breaking book, and one that makes you tear away from the rubbish of celebrity lifestyles that is fed to us as news and entertainment nowdays. I didn't want A Thousand Splendid Suns to end. I have just read that it to as been optioned for a movie and a screenplay is being written at the moment.

I read The Kite Runner next, and although emotional and incredibly moving, I didn't enjoy it as much as his second book. I would certainly place it in my top 10 for 2007. Having just started the blog a few weeks ago I thought it a bit presumptious to write a top 10 of the year.

Movie adaptions of characters I hated:

• Morgan Freeman playing Alex Cross in an adaption of James Pattersons book Kiss the Girls (1998). He was wrong wrong wrong for the part (about 20 years too old for the part). It should have gone to someone younger and sexier. Now Henry Simmons who was on NYPD blues - you would be so sweet in this role.
• Clint Eastwood in Michael Connellys Blood work (2002) was also about 30 years too old for the role.
• The worst one I hated was Nicole Kidman and Renee Zellweger in Cold Mountain (2003). I loved this book. Some kind friend at work had let me borrow it, and it sat on my shelf for months, until one day when sick I decided to confront it. It is a great expansive novel that has huge and powerful characters. I felt that when the movie arrived, and I don't hate the movie too much, in fact I bought it on DVD - that Nicoles character was too prissied up. She looked like she had spent 9 hours in hair and makeup to look super movie star glam. Then they looked like they rolled Renee around in a pig pen. What is wrong with having women look normal? I hated how they portrayed these two fantastic characters.
• Last of my rants - and this is my pet peeve of the book to movies, was my friend Miss Renee Zellweger in Bridget Jones. Oh my god, how sad did they try and make her on the movie? In the book she was witty, funny and charasmatic. Me and my friends are single, we may moan about the lack of men, maybe sometimes we drink a bit - but no one I know, or have ever met is as sadly pathetic as they portrayed Bridget Jones on the screen. I don't know anyone crying into their pizzas in their pyjamas with bad 70s music playing, oops I may know one or two, but Bridget Jones on the screen you really really really annoyed me. I wanted to give you a valium, make you watch all of sex and the City dvds (except for the last series - that lost the plot) and tell you to get a life - hitch up your granny knickers and get living.

So - rant over. Go and see Kite Runner, if you take the kids you might have a bit of explaining to do. Maybe not the cheeriest movie you could pick but it beats too much Bridget Jones.

Oh but how could I forget Bones the tv series. I love Kathy Reichs books, but hate the mindlesess interprutation that is put on screen. Until last night, when I watched a christmas episode that was sweet and smart. I can endure and even enjoy the tv show, I just have to remove myself from considering it connected to the books (and reality - who works in offices that look like that?).