61
Metascore
34 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 88ReelViewsJames BerardinelliReelViewsJames BerardinelliAt times brutal, at times touching, the movie stands out as one of the better "prestige" productions offered for cinematic consumption during the waning weeks of 2007.
- 80VarietyVarietyWhile the largely unknown cast and subtitled dialogue may present a marketing challenge, they also create a feeling of authenticity in this poignant, intimate epic, which should attract a strong following among discerning audiences.
- 80New York Magazine (Vulture)David EdelsteinNew York Magazine (Vulture)David EdelsteinThe Afghan boys’ kite-flying contests are the emotional core of the film, and Forster and his crew bring the camera into the sky and make it dip and soar along with the kites. It’s a thrilling spectacle, although it’s also tinged with a peculiarly emasculating aggression.
- 75Rolling StonePeter TraversRolling StonePeter TraversBoth boys give such heart-rending performances that fear of reprisals for participating in the scene persuaded the studio to postpone the film's release to give them time to leave Kabul.
- 75Entertainment WeeklyLisa SchwarzbaumEntertainment WeeklyLisa SchwarzbaumIn making a movie about the hot mess of Afghan history, a sense of reserve turns out to be a useful tool for peace.
- 70NewsweekDavid AnsenNewsweekDavid AnsenForster's solid, unpretentious movie hits its marks squarely, and isn't afraid to wear its heart on its sleeve. Only a mighty tough viewer could fail to be moved.
- 50Chicago TribuneMichael PhillipsChicago TribuneMichael PhillipsWhile not autobiographical, The Kite Runner feels authentic in its ethnic tensions, even when the narrative itself, with its handily reappearing and easily avenged villain, undermines that authenticity.
- 50The New YorkerDavid DenbyThe New YorkerDavid DenbyThe movie’s heart is certainly in the right place--it’s a quietly outraged work--but I wish there were more excitement in it from moment to moment.
- 40Village VoiceVillage VoiceA drama as bland and beige as its tasteful palette.
- 40SalonAndrew O'HehirSalonAndrew O'HehirWhat results is a patchy, uncertain motion picture, full of incidents and images but fundamentally unfocused and superficial.