Namesake review, kinda.

The desi blogosphere, especially among the ones who are living in North America has been talking about the movie, Namesake.

I too watched it and also wanted to lend my voice to the digital noise. It is interesting to me that, most people could relate to that movie, especially the ones who came here as immigrants along with their family and the ones who were born and brought up here. For me though, the movie's depiction didnt relate much to my experiences here. There wasn't much of initial shock value that this country offered because it was Rapid City that I first set my foot (the port of entry, not withstanding). The loneliness that would otherwise be forced on other because of strangeness of situation (location, language etc) didnt really happen because I prepared myself to an outcome that I wont be accepted. In that way, I never looked for any acceptance, so I took my initial months with a 'matter of fact' way.

However, coming to talk about the movie - it was slow, not painfully, but more because the director tried to strike a balance between pacing it and also wanting to give time to the international audience to grasp her message. Fortunately enough, the movie as a whole didnt have much message to give, except an attempt to show a certain bengali family's experience spanning two generations.

I wont be harsh on Kal Penn, if I say that it was actually the first generation which was presented in a more wholesome way - also not to mention Irfan Khan and Tabu were much more seasoned actors than KP. Alright brother, no hatred there, I am just stating they had been in this for a longer time than you. However, you did the job much much more convincingly than any other bollywood fratboys could have ever done. I am also glad that it wasn't Abhishek Bacchan who played Gogol. Gosh, imagine him being in dual-minds - "Should sound like an American or my dad, ummm..mommy..."- Fucking mama boyz, I tell ya. They should be shot!

I dont think Gogol's character was given enough time to develop. Instead of showing him go away with her girlfriend on vacation with her parents, they should have shown more of their together time after his dad passed away. That way, we could have understood his reasons of wanting to break up with her. Basically, a girl cannot turn from being a perfect fun companion to an insensitive freak - they do, but not within minutes, you get the drift? ;-)

The character who Gogol married was the most pathetic. Mousami fukturd - I mean what was the real reason Gogol fell in love with her, really? That she had so many lovers? She wasn't even that sexy and she had horrible horrible butt. Full of lard, must be all that french cheese.

Overall, it was an average movie - thoroughly enjoyable, but if you are expecting any answers to your any 'what is the answer of this immigrant life' sorta questions, I'd take my 10 dollars to buy a song by Punk Pink.