The Namesake

The immigrant experience in America is always a relevant topic, but even more so today when our national discourse seems more isolationist than usual. Perhaps that made this sweet little film even more poignant to me; maybe I personally needed a reminder of what coming to America means to a great number of Americans. That The Namesake is about a Bengali family coming to terms with life in New York after life in Calcutta seems less important than remembering what America means to those who choose her, rather than to those of us who were simply born here.

The Namesake spans two generations of the Ganguli family; Ashoke (Irrfan Khan) and Ashima (Tabu) have an arranged marriage and move to New York still strangers to one another - and coming to raise two very American children with no real touchstone to the life their parents left behind. As their son Gogol (Kal Penn) struggles to identify with the parents he doesn't understand and their alien culture, he moves farther and farther from his roots. This film calls into question the American dream - as Ashoke strives to give his son every opportunity for education and advancement does he sacrifice his traditions and values?

Lovingly directed by Mira Nair (Monsoon Wedding,) The Namesake makes us think about who we are, how well we know our origins and what they ultimately mean to us. Not a bad thing to think about, right about now. Calcutta and New York come become equally exotic under the care of cinematographer Frederick Elmes. And Kal Penn proves he has the chops for dramatic work. And you thought he peaked with Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle! See the website here.