The first half is breathtaking. The story adheres closely to the lives of immigrants settling in America and the family they start, the roles played masterfully by Irfan Khan, Tabu and Kal Penn.
Then, the phone call happens. A little over halfway through the film, the mother, played by Tabu, learns over the phone that her husband, played by Irfan Khan, has had a heart attack. This is where the illusion of the film is shattered and everything turns into a syrupy, redundant and rambling pile of Hallmark crap.
The phone call scene is unforgivable. Mira Nair, what were you thinking? Who on earth did you cast to read the lines of the medical staff member? It was so bad I thought it was a joke! That it is poorly scripted is one thing, but casting a ferociously bad actress to deliver those very important lines ruined one of the most important scenes of the film.
Then another great moment is ruined when Gogol breaks down on his father's bed in Cleveland. The moment is cut short and derailed by an irritating and unnecessary hip-hop soundtrack. And the head shaving that followed would have been powerful enough on it's own. This happens throughout the film, good scenes ruined by the soundtrack. I began to feel like I was at Virgin Megastore being forced to pay attention to "The Namesake" cd wall display. Sure, the film should illustrate the different cultural roots of the characters through the music, but this was overdone -whoever called the shots in the editing room was far more worried about cd sales than making a great film.
And then there's Zuleikha Robinson. Who is this actress and why does she suck so bad? Of all the talented Indian actresses with British accents in the world, how did she get the part? Was someone bribed or sniffing glue during the casting session? Her scenes in the taxi and when she admits to the affair made me cringe in embarrassment. And moreover, she doesn't even look Indian! She looks like some J-Lo dance video reject with a bad accent.
The last thirty minutes consist of needless flashbacks and meandering heavy-handedness. After Gogol's breakup the film should have quickly ended with his mother's thank you speech to the family and friends and Gogol against the red wall watching in wonder. Cut to the mother singing back in India, and the end. But no, we need more flashbacks (as if we have forgotten what we saw 50 minutes earlier) and a painfully cheesy scene in which Gogol recites Gogol on the train. Vomit.
I feel like it was this sort of overt sentimentalism and the low confidence the director has for her audience that bothered me about her previous films. One would think that by now she would have learned. Guess not.
Then, the phone call happens. A little over halfway through the film, the mother, played by Tabu, learns over the phone that her husband, played by Irfan Khan, has had a heart attack. This is where the illusion of the film is shattered and everything turns into a syrupy, redundant and rambling pile of Hallmark crap.
The phone call scene is unforgivable. Mira Nair, what were you thinking? Who on earth did you cast to read the lines of the medical staff member? It was so bad I thought it was a joke! That it is poorly scripted is one thing, but casting a ferociously bad actress to deliver those very important lines ruined one of the most important scenes of the film.
Then another great moment is ruined when Gogol breaks down on his father's bed in Cleveland. The moment is cut short and derailed by an irritating and unnecessary hip-hop soundtrack. And the head shaving that followed would have been powerful enough on it's own. This happens throughout the film, good scenes ruined by the soundtrack. I began to feel like I was at Virgin Megastore being forced to pay attention to "The Namesake" cd wall display. Sure, the film should illustrate the different cultural roots of the characters through the music, but this was overdone -whoever called the shots in the editing room was far more worried about cd sales than making a great film.
And then there's Zuleikha Robinson. Who is this actress and why does she suck so bad? Of all the talented Indian actresses with British accents in the world, how did she get the part? Was someone bribed or sniffing glue during the casting session? Her scenes in the taxi and when she admits to the affair made me cringe in embarrassment. And moreover, she doesn't even look Indian! She looks like some J-Lo dance video reject with a bad accent.
The last thirty minutes consist of needless flashbacks and meandering heavy-handedness. After Gogol's breakup the film should have quickly ended with his mother's thank you speech to the family and friends and Gogol against the red wall watching in wonder. Cut to the mother singing back in India, and the end. But no, we need more flashbacks (as if we have forgotten what we saw 50 minutes earlier) and a painfully cheesy scene in which Gogol recites Gogol on the train. Vomit.
I feel like it was this sort of overt sentimentalism and the low confidence the director has for her audience that bothered me about her previous films. One would think that by now she would have learned. Guess not.