Contrived plot hinders engaging ‘Kite Runner’

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In theaters

THE KITE RUNNER, directed by Marc Forster, written by David Benioff, based on Khaled Hosseini’s novel, 128 minutes, rated PG-13. In Dari with English subtitles.

Recently, two movies have explored the idea that children sometimes can be serious agents of destruction whose ability to ruin lives can be every bit as monstrous as anything wrought by an adult.

First came Joe Wright’s “Atonement,” in which Saoirse Ronan, in an Academy Award-nominated performance for Best Supporting Actress (she doesn’t deserve it), plays Briony Tallis, a wide-eyed lass with a clipped blonde bob, a mean mouth and a tight-fisted gait who fancies herself as something of a writer.

When, in a fit of jealousy, she lies about something she saw in the movie’s key scene, she not only ruins the lives of young lovers Robbie (James McAvoy) and Cecilia (Keira Knightley), but she also sends Robbie to prison. Later, as an adult with a conscience, she makes an effort to atone for her sins.

Now, in Marc Forster’s “The Kite Runner,” which is based on Khaled Hosseini’s best-selling novel, we have Amir (Khalid Abdalla), an Afghan living in the U.S. who also is a writer (clearly, this is not a good year to be a writer). As the movie opens, Amir’s new book has just been published, which is cause for only fleeting celebration when he must deal with the decisions he made in his past.

A telephone call comes that brings Amir back to his childhood, when he was a spoiled 12-year-old boy (Zekiria Ebrahimi) living a privileged life in Afghanistan with his father, Baba (Homayoun Ershadi), whose affection and respect he could not earn. His best friend, Hassan (Ahmad Khan Mahmoodzada) – the son of his father’s long-time servant – was devoted to Amir in ways that Amir could only partly return.

Though Amir loved Hassan – initially, they are inseparable, often flying their kites in neighborhood competitions – Amir couldn’t handle the fact that Hassan possessed the sort of integrity and courage he himself didn’t have. And so, when push literally came to shove in a scene that finds Hassan being raped by bullies, Amir does nothing but silently watch and then retreat as the act plays itself out. Later, his mind poisoned by his inability to face his own deceit, he deceives Hassan further in ways that drive the young man and his family out of his life for years.

It’s in this extended flashback that “The Kite Runner” is at its best and most believable. The child actors, in particular, are superb, as is Ershadi as Amir’s father. But when the movie switches to the present and Amir finds himself traveling back to the now Taliban-ruled Kabul to retrieve Hassan’s son, the plot contrivances begin to hit hard, so much so that they detract from the otherwise engaging story.

Amir is seeking his own atonement, and in spite of the formidable odds stacked against him, the movie errs in that it goes too far out of its way to make certain he will have it, regardless of the implausibilities inherent in a few of the scenes that follow. In this way, the end of “The Kite Runner” feels disappointingly scripted, so it’s especially good news that many of its characters do not.

Grade: B-

New to DVD

A slew of new television series are just out on DVD, but since news about them is mixed, this column will focus on the best of the best.

Several solid releases are available from the BBC, including the funny comedy “Allo, ‘Allo: Series Seven,” which is set during World War II and follows the carousing French cafe owner Rene Artois as he flirts with his waitresses while trying to handle a difficult wife and mother-in-law. Let’s just say he often doesn’t succeed.

Also recommended is the espionage series “Hustle: Complete Season Four,” in which several sophisticated con artists take London for a ride. In this season, they do so without their longtime leader, Micky Bricks (Adrian Lester), who left at the end of season three. And while you can feel his absence here, the series does push forward with enough inventive storylines to compensate for the loss. It succeeds, with the final episode sure to satisfy fans.

Those who dig Ian McShane from the HBO series “Deadwood” should look to his early work in “Lovejoy: Complete Second Season,” which finds McShane armed with a decidedly less enthusiastic abuse of the vocabulary. Here, McShane is a roguish antiques dealer who sleuths on the sly. As well written as the show is, it coasts mostly on McShane’s formidable charm.

Keeping in the British vein is “Rosemary & Thyme: The Complete Series,” which literally is your garden-variety mystery show, but in the best and most unusual sense. The series stars Felicity Kendal and Pam Ferris as Rosemary Boxer and Laura Thyme, respectively, who go about their whodunits armed with a nose for horticulture. In this series, the English countryside and its gardens are as critical to its appeal as Kendal and Ferris are themselves.

For comedies, three are worth noting. First is the Emmy Award-winning “The New Adventures of Old Christine: Complete First Season,” in which Julia Louis-Dreyfus breaks the “Seinfeld” curse by becoming Christine Campbell, a single mother plagued by insecurities while struggling to raise her son. She’s very good here. Also worth a look are “Curb Your Enthusiasm: Sixth Season,” with Larry David and his television wife, Cheryl (Cheryl Hines), taking in the Black family, who were uprooted after a hurricane, and Ricky Gervais in “Extras: Seasons 1 & 2 Gift Set,” a satire that takes on Hollywood’s back lot, skewers it – and wins.

Visit www.weekinrewind.com, the archive of Bangor Daily News film critic Christopher Smith’s reviews, which appear Mondays, Fridays and weekends in Lifestyle, as well as on bangordailynews.com. He may be reached at Christopher@weekinrewind.com.

NEW TO DVD

Renting a DVD? BDN film critic Christopher Smith can help. Below are his grades of recent releases. Those in bold print are new to stores this week.

Across the Universe – C+

American Gangster: DVD, HD DVD – B

Balls of Fury – D+

Blades of Glory – B+

The Bourne Ultimatum – B+

The Brave One – C

Breach – B+

Bridge to Terabithia – B+

Daddy Day Camp – F

Death Proof – B+

Deja Vu – C+

Dragon Wars – D+

Eastern Promises – A-

Elizabeth: The Golden Age – C

Evan Almighty – C

Evening – C+

Fail Safe – A-

The Game Plan – B

Good Luck Chuck – D

Gone Baby Gone – B+

Hairspray – A-

Halloween (2007) – D

Happy Feet – A-

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix – C+

The Heartbreak Kid – C+

In the Valley of Elah: DVD, HD DVD, Blu-ray – B+

The Invasion – B-

The Invisible – C-

The Jane Austen Book Club – B

The Kingdom – D+

Live Free or Die Hard – B-

Lust, Caustion – C

Michael Clayton: DVD, HD DVD, Blu-ray – A-

A Might Heart – A-

Mr. Woodcock – C-

No Reservations – B-

Ratatouille – A

The Reaping – D

Reign Over Me – C-

Rendition – C+

Resident Evil: Extinction – C-

Rocky Balboa – B+

Rush Hour 3 – D

Saw IV – D

The Simpson’s Movie – B+

Shoot ‘Em Up – B

Shooter – C+

Sicko – A-

Stardust – B

Superbad – B+

Surf’s Up – B+

300 – C-

3:10 to Yuma – A

The Transformers – B+

28 Weeks Later – B

Underdog – C-

War – C-

We Are Marshall – D

Zodiac – C