A young Indian man named Ashoke is traveling by train, perusing a book
by his favorite author, Nikolai Gogol, when an accident occurs. The last
thing he hears before the train wreck that kills most of the other
passengers is the advice of an older man seated nearby. “Pack a pillow
and blanket. See the world,” he tells him. “You will never regret it.”
After a rehabilitation process, Ashoke does just that, eventually
settling in New York, the bustling city to which he will bring his new
bride, Ashima, a woman he barely knows.
This is the situation that sets the stage for The Namesake,
the 2006 film directed by Mira Nair and adapted from Jhumpa Lahiri’s
novel by Sooni Taraporevala. The movie, at least so the description had
me believe, is not about these two characters but about their son Gogol,
a young man named for that author and struggling to find his way in a
world where he is torn between the traditions of his parents and the
lure of contemporary America. Kal Penn, as perpetual fish out of water
Gogol, is the film’s star, and certainly his character develops over the
course of the film as he tries to figure out just who he is. To me,
though, the movie is more about the parents.
Irrfan Khan gives a
marvelous, understated performance as Ashoke, who is quiet, studious
and gentle. He is the character I felt most drawn to, a true
compassionate soul although he finds it difficult to express his
feelings openly. Despite his reserve, we see through many small actions
what a good man he is; even when his new life with Ashima gets off to a
shaky start, it’s clear that he will be a kind and attentive husband.
Tabu is also excellent as Ashima, and I would argue that more than any
other character, this is her story. She, too, is on the quiet side, but
we understand her excitement and apprehension at starting a new life so
far from her home and extended family, and during moments of anguish, we
truly feel her turmoil.
Gogol’s story is about being a
first-generation American, born with one foot in two different cultures.
For Ashima, it’s about learning to embrace an entirely different way of
life while retaining as much of her own culture as she can. It’s also a
love story, with Ashoke and Ashima reminding me of Tevye and Golde in Fiddler on the Roof.
Their personalities are not so in opposition, and they have more of a
say in their marriage than the central couple in that classic musical.
Still, the circumstances of their matrimony seem pretty strange to a
modern American audience. Could you move halfway around the world to
start a new life with a man you didn’t know existed a couple days
earlier? But Ashima does, and later in the movie, she and Ashoke share a
conversation much like Do You Love Me?, the song in which Tevye
questions Golde about her feelings toward him after all these years
together. Their relationship really works.
Gogol is not
interested in seeking out marriage the way his parents did. He rejects
his mother’s attempts to introduce him to a nice Bengali girl,
especially since she turns out to be obnoxious. (This young woman,
incidentally, is played by Zuleikha Robinson, who portrayed Ilana, one
of my favorite characters in LOST’s
final season, though I found her role disappointingly underdeveloped.)
Instead, he embraces the dating scene like any typical college student
and forms a close bond with Maxine (Jacinda Barrett), a sweet girl whose
family adores him. But incidents in his own family cause him to
question whether he can turn away from his upbringing so completely.
The Namesake
is a low-key but compelling film about family and culture clashes in
modern America. While Gogol’s story is engaging, I found myself more
drawn to Ashoke and Ashima, but whichever generation holds the greater
appeal, I recommend this movie as a compelling examination of the
struggles inherent in trying to juggle two worlds.
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