Kal Penn proves that he's capable of more than Van Wilder in The Namesake, an intimate portrait of a displaced Bengali immigrant couple forced to cope with isolation and culture shock while raising a son and daughter in Boston.
The film is, in part, a coming-of-age story for the couple's American-born son Gogol (Penn), whose odd-sounding name becomes a source of embarrassment and frustration for him. Penn gives a strong performance as the angst-ridden and rebellious Gogol, who must learn to accept his dual cultural identity. But Gogol's parents Ashida (Tabassum "Tabu" Hashmi) and Ashok (Irfan Khan) are the heart of the film. Hashmi and Khan give the best performances as the arranged marriage they are forced into develops into a genuine romance.
The cinematography beautifully captures the snowy concrete cityscapes of Boston and New York and juxtaposes them with lush and vibrant images of Kolkata. Director Mira Nair (Monsoon Wedding) also pays close attention to the details of Bengali culture and deftly weaves these into the scenes of strained interaction between Gogol and his parents. The film makes a few attempts at humor that aren't always successful, sometimes feeling forced or awkward. Also, several supporting characters come across as caricatures, breaking the film's subtlety. Gogol's two love interests especially seem like missed opportunities at character development, with one doing little more than giggling and kissing and the other acting cartoonishly vampy.
The Namesake manages to condense its decades-long story into a consistently engaging two-hour film. The tale is, for the most part, well told and the cinematography is a pleasure to watch. It's a worthwhile examination of American and Bengali culture, but above all it's an artful and empathic story about the strength of family ties.
