Good movies are like wine-better as they age. I had enjoyed the movie so much on the first viewing (few salient scenes like Ashok making the call from the phone booth in an hospital corridor, was still fresh in the memory) I reviewed the movie again and relived Mira Nair's excellent story telling of Jhumpa Lahiri's book. This duo are few of the best talent that Non Resident Indian's (NRI's) have to offer. The story is binding like a good book. Both Irrfan Khan and Kal Penn stand out with their acting. There are better actresses than Tabu, who is not a Bengali-neither Irrfan Khan but he looks more like a Ganguly-who could have done a better job, but NRI directors neither see Indian films nor they are familiar with good talent or their views are skewed.) The screenplay is short and simple with sprinkling of Indian humor. Mira Nair, has a knack of narrating a story in short takes that has a lot of depth and at the same time keeps the story moving (like Ashima waving at Ashok or Ashok taking Gogol on the short pier, missing the camera or the time when Ashok gifts a book on Gogol's birthday) She doesn't dwell too much on a scene. Kal Penn, is one actor who really does a great justice to his part, where millions of teenagers can identify with-caught between cultures and identity. The ending is poignant. Two flaws by Nair-if she had skipped few scenes,this could have been a family movie instead of PG-13 and would fetched a wider audience. Two, the casting of Tabu and Moushami (the Robinson gal is not in the same caliber as the rest of the cast-she is fat and annoying). She could have easily casted Indian actresses. Still, All said and done, this is the best work of Mira Nair.
Review of The Namesake
