The Namesake

It is better that The Namesake looks and feels more like entertainment than it does an art film. The film is about the cultural divsions in an Indian family over the years. The story begins with the parents meeting, marriage and leave of India to go to the United States. What they come to is an entirely different world. The values and customs that their children are brought up represent an opposite extreme of what the parents themselves knew as children. The crux of the film is about the children trying to come to terms with their parents to appreciate what they have to offer.

The film is by Mira Nair, an accomplished filmmaker of the subject of Indian heritage. The film doesn't measure up to earlier efforts by her, but the film is better because it feels so translatable to American audiences. The story has some insights and perspectives, but not enough to climb over better, more depth films. It would be just another film of a recognizable sub genre if made to suit the art market. Cultural explorations are a good norm of that market, but with some recognizable American actors the film becomes a small gem to American audiences who will recognize Kal Penn. Nothing astonishing, but a good enough effort that has its heart and mind in the right place.