Movie Review: The Namesake

I went into the theater to watch The Namesake feeling a little apprehensive for two reasons. First, I am one of the few people who felt a little disappointed at the end of the book. Second, would I get to see the genius of Mira Nair as in Monsoon Wedding or would it be the debacle that was Vanity Fair? Fortunately, it was the former.

The Namesake is the story of two generations of a Bengali family living in America. In the late 1970s, Ashok (Irrfan Khan) is traveling in a train that is involved in a serious accident. Ashok is saved and the book he is carrying at the time (Nikolai Gogol's The Overcoat) becomes a symbol of a great life that he almost never had. A few years later, he gets married to Ashima (Tabu) and takes his new bride to America.

The first half of the movie focuses primarily on the relationship between Ashok and Ashima. The heart-warming development of their love and respect for each other is deftly interspersed with some really hilarious moments such as Ashima's first breakfast in America which is a bowl of rice crispies mixed with peanuts and a little chillie powder. Their bond continues to strengthen and Ashima soon has a baby boy. They decide to temporarily call him Gogol while awaiting their families in India to send them a "good name." He is followed by a girl, Sonia.

As an adolescent, Gogol (Kal Penn) rebels against his family and his culture (a stereotypical A.B.C.D.). He resents his name and Anglicizes his good name Nikhil to Nick. A few years later, he is involved with an American girl (Jacinda Barrett) when he hears of his father's unexpected death. The shock acts as a wake-up call for Gogol. He begins to go back to his roots and culture, dumps Max and starts going out with Moushumi (Zuleikha Robinson) who is also from a Bengali family, but is the antithesis of the girl Ashima would want for her son. The rest of the movie delves into the Gogol-Moushumi relationship and the way Ashima copes with the loss of her husband.

The movie is visually pleasing. I couldn't help but notice the liberal shots of bridges (the Brooklyn Bridge, I think, in New York, and the Howrah Bridge in Kolkata) that tell us which country the director is taking us to. The dialogues are funny, poignant and engaging, and wickedly illustrate the cultural diffrences between Ashima and Ashok and their children as well as the Americans.

As far as the performances go, the cast does not disappoint. Irrfan Khan gives a fantastic performance as the gentle, loyal and loving husband and father. Kal Penn brings a little bit of delightful pot-headedness into the first half of the movie, followed by a mature portrayal of a young man in the midst of an identity crisis in the latter half. Zuleikha Robinson and Jacinda Barrett are okay. But I think the film easily belongs to Tabu. She is simultaneously luminous, funny, heart-breaking and most importantly, very real and believable. Other Bollywood actresses could really take a page from her book and learn how to deliver a flawless subtle yet powerful performance. She engages the audience from her first appearance and doesn't let go even after the very end. In other words, she is simply brilliant!!

The Namesake is a must-watch film. Fantastic acting, a great screenplay and wonderful direction make it one of the best movies I've seen in a really long time. Kudos Ms. Nair!

Rating: ****

[Rating Scale:
****: What a fantastic movie!
*** : Pretty good. Could be better, but not bad at all.
** : Below average. Snooze fest.
* : Seriously, what were they thinking? How dare they put their audience through such hell? This movie should really never have been made. I want my money back!]