Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Amir is a young Afghani from a well-to-do Kabul family; his best friend Hassan is the son of a family servant. Together the two boys form a bond of friendship that breaks tragically on one fateful day, when Amir fails to save his friend from brutal neighborhood bullies. Amir and Hassan become separated, and as first the Soviets and then the Taliban seize control of Afghanistan, Amir and his father escape to the United States to pursue a new life. Years later, Amir - now an accomplished author living in San Francisco - is called back to Kabul to right the wrongs he and his father committed years ago.

If you visit bookstores as much as I do there is no way you couldn’t notice how popular this book is. I see it listed on best seller lists all the time and recommended reading lists. Unfortunately I haven’t had the chance to read the book yet but after seeing the film I could understand what all the hoopla is about. This is a very touching story of two boys growing up in Kabul and the difficult times in which they live. After a horrific event and the war with Russia split the boys up, a homecoming later in life reveals that more events are in store. This was a very powerful film that is deeply affecting and a must see for fans of great drama.

This was scheduled for a HD DVD release but never made it out there. The Blu-ray looks spectacular though with great fine detail and a wonderful sense of depth and dimension. Colors are quite bold and I loved the balance of film elements and the nicely done CG moments. Contrast levels are strong throughout with deep blacks and wonderful shadow detail and both add considerably to the dimension of the image.

The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 mix is solid and the film has a nice spatial quality that really helps set the mood of the film. The score blends perfectly with the emotional landscape and the front soundstage has a very open quality with nice imaging across the screen. Surrounds don’t call a lot of attention to themselves but do add to the subtle ambiance of the mix. Dialogue always sounds natural in both balance and timbre. A solid presentation on both fronts.

Extras include a feature commentary with the director and the original writer of the book. You also get a look behind the scenes of the production and the book. The trailer is also included.

This is a beautifully shot film and a very touching story. Any fan of great drama and filmmaking should give this one a look. Highly recommended!!