CinemaCenter.org

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"The Namesake," a deeply moving saga of several generations of a Bengali family, begins with a catastrophic train wreck in the countryside outside Kolkata, formerly Calcutta, in 1977. One passenger, Ashoke (Irfan Khan), interprets his miraculous survival as a clarion call to be more adventurous and leave India. The circumstances of his rescue aren't revealed until more than halfway through the movie. By then, you are completely engrossed in Ashoke's new life in America, where he's become another hyphenated immigrant attempting to hold on to some Bengali traditions in his adopted country. He's an enigma to his son, Gogol (Kal Penn), who, like many first-generation Americans, isn't particularly interested in the culture that spawned him. In a poignant if hard-to-watch scene, the camera returns to the aftermath of the crash, panning over bodies, as this man for whom intimacy is difficult opens up by describing what happened that day to his by-now almost grown child. A look of recognition passes over Gogol's face, as if understanding his father for the first time. Showing the intricate dynamics of family relationships is something Mira Nair does as well as any director working today. It's what you remember from her earlier work like "Mississippi Masala," "Monsoon Wedding". It's no wonder the filmmaker was attracted to Jhumpa Lahiri's best-selling novel, with its multigenerational theme and disparate relatives. Nair has maintained the book's universality -- it could be about the clash between any immigrant parents and their born-in-the-U.S.A. offspring -- while vividly portraying Indian customs she knows so well, especially the ceremonies. There are two weddings (and a funeral) in "The Namesake" -- nothing as lavish as in "Monsoon Wedding," but with enough colorful trimmings to make a traditional American nuptial look awfully white bread. Khan and Penn ("24) show how this father and son can be wary of each other while making the love between them palpable. The actors don't look alike, but they have taken care to match their mannerisms. While the male characters dominate, much of "Namesake's" strength derives from its complicated women. Tabu, among India's most esteemed actresses, brings an engaging spirit to Ashima, whose marriage to Ashoke is arranged by their parents. Waiting to be introduced, she sees that his shoes (which he's removed as is the Indian custom) were made in America and, playfully, puts them on. Ashima accompanies her husband to New York, where she knows not a soul. Gradually, she comes into her own in a way that probably wouldn't have been possible in her homeland. With a minimum of dialogue, Tabu conveys her inner strength. The two girls Gogol is attracted to couldn't be more different. Maxine is from a wealthy Manhattan family. He's as much seduced by their lifestyle -- the parties and second home in Oyster Bay -- as by her. Barrett communicates through her gaze how much Maxine cares about Gogol. Zuleikha Robinson, as an Indian intellectual, has the trickiest part. To Gogol's family, she's an obvious choice for his wife, but they don't see the sexually liberated side of her that he does. Robinson burns through the screen by showing her in all her sensuality. “Grade A-. A movie that will speak to anyone who has ever felt pulled in different directions by his own heart."-Entertainment Weekly. "A saga of the immigrant experience that captures the snap, crackle and pop of American life, along with the pounding pulse, emotional reticence, volcanic colors and cherished rituals of Indian culture."-Wall Street Journal. "This is a generational family saga everyone can relate to, and Nair gives it her special magic."-Rolling Stone. “4/5 Stars! An intimate, melancholy look at the isolation and disorientation common to the immigrant experience."-Los Angeles Times. "Jhumpa Lahiri's wildly popular novel about two generations of a Bengali family receives a loving, deeply felt screen translation that should appease fans of the book while making many new converts."-Variety. 117 min., Rated PG-13.