Move Recommendation: The Namesake

So the other day I was looking through my DVD collection (which is quite large to the point of embarrassment) and stumbled upon a film which I simply wanted to make sure my friends and readers were aware of.  Released in 2007, and based on the novel of the same name by Jhumpa Lahiri, "The Namesake" is a surprisingly endearing story of a young married Bengali couple from India who move to America in the 1970s and raise a family there.  As the story shifts between the older and younger generation, we see the cultures and traditions of old India and new America come face to face.  In some incidents they clash, in others, the find alarming harmony.  While the film was largely promoted around Kal Penn's portrayal of the son Gogol (named after his father's favorite author, Nikolai Gogol), the story is really one about the sacrifices parents make to guarantee their children a better future.  Indeed, I find the character of the father much more interesting and played with a very deep level of charm and sincerity by Irfan Khan.  Khan has been seen in other films in bit roles, such as in "The Darjeeling Limited" and also the British-Indian Bollywood import film "The Warrior".  Khan has been a star in Bollywood (The Indian Hollywood for those who don't know) for some time, and this film represents his first major English language debut.  He pulls it off exceptionally well, and I find it a little sad that the man was not noticed when the Oscar nominations were announced for Best Supporting Actor, but alas, the film was released in March so it was too early to be remembered by many voters when awards season rolled around.  Back to the point, the film is filled with many poignant moments of cross-cultural sensitivity and insensitivity alike, and as one watches this movie one begins to wonder about all the foreign born American citizens they know who live and work here, most of them taking jobs that we wouldn't dream of to make sure their family is provided for in their "new world" of America.   What did these people leave behind, what did they compromise and sacrifice to make it here? And ultimately, as they observe their children growing up in American society and slowly losing their Indian roots, was it indeed worth it?  The film ends with a title card that simply states "for our parents, who gave us everything".  How blessed are we who have parents and yet we continually take them for granted?  Anyway, all that aside, I whole-heartedly recommend "The Namesake" to anyone looking for a unique and touching movie.  It has laughs, tears, and love, but most importantly, it has an endearing message of family and what it means to be your fathers son or your mothers daughter.  Featuring brilliant colors and images, culturally rich music and style, this film is a beautifully woven tapestry of art for all who take the time to seek it out.