2007 / Marc Forster > To date, I’ve very much enjoyed Forster’s work. It’s admirable that he continues to diversify his style and challenge himself further (as witnessed by his helming of the next Bond film). And while it’s hard to directly pin-point exactly why The Kite Runner feels like an utter mess, there’s a sensation that the film’s literary foundation may have overstretched screenwriter David Benioff’s sense of imagination. Subsequently, there’s a lot of unnecessary melodrama and sudden pacing changes that make me wonder how good the original story is to begin with. Its largest shortfall is its continuous sense of emotional manipulation, especially in the last third. Otherwise, it’s relatively well-made with a couple of surprising performances by its young stars and a moving show by Homayoun Ershadi and a solid score.