I was pretty surprised to see that Kal Penn doesn't actually appear on screen till a third/halfway into the movie...in fact, while Kal Penn has more screen time in the last section of the film, his two parents in the film actually both have equal amounts of screen time as well, as they carry much of the first part of the film which focuses on their relationship and how they met each other, etc. Because of this, the film is somewhat oddly structured and its actual story unveils in sort of smaller ways (ie: the film doesn't really have a goal, etc driving it through each scene) which does make the narrative a little sloppy. But that sprawling sort of feel where we follow the different characters etc is sort of what gives the film its charm and richness in its characters.
I almost kind of couldn't get over the fact that teenage Kal Penn was pretty much Kumar but he does very well in the rest of the film for the most part; it's not a straightforward dramatic role, it has some comedic elements to it and I think he fits the role...I actually thought the namesake element that tied the film together was probably where the film was weakest though...but it was nice to see the story evolve fairly organically throughout rather than being driven in.
While I had issues with the film like said above, a lot of it for me is redeemed by how well this portrays the three cultures - the Indian, the American, and the in-betweens...it's a very very rich film when it comes to culture and it is endlessly fascinating even for that sole reason. And it portrays everything thoughtfully and interestingly, not with the standard stereotypes that might come along - as an Indian woman thanked Nair at the post-film Q&A for portraying the culture accurately and not resorting to the standard "women singing around trees" kind of stereotype.
I thought Tabu was fantastic as the mother, she really pulled off both the younger and older versions of her character well. Kal Penn was decent and it was nice to see the hot Jacinda Barrett in the film for a little bit :p though her character's kinda useless.
While I'm not Indian, I am a Chinese-Canadian who was born and raised in Canada, so I'm in a similar situation to the main character which helped me relate (though my parents are more Canadianized)...
Overall, I enjoyed the film - it isn't without its flaws but I think it's worth a watch.
I almost kind of couldn't get over the fact that teenage Kal Penn was pretty much Kumar but he does very well in the rest of the film for the most part; it's not a straightforward dramatic role, it has some comedic elements to it and I think he fits the role...I actually thought the namesake element that tied the film together was probably where the film was weakest though...but it was nice to see the story evolve fairly organically throughout rather than being driven in.
While I had issues with the film like said above, a lot of it for me is redeemed by how well this portrays the three cultures - the Indian, the American, and the in-betweens...it's a very very rich film when it comes to culture and it is endlessly fascinating even for that sole reason. And it portrays everything thoughtfully and interestingly, not with the standard stereotypes that might come along - as an Indian woman thanked Nair at the post-film Q&A for portraying the culture accurately and not resorting to the standard "women singing around trees" kind of stereotype.
I thought Tabu was fantastic as the mother, she really pulled off both the younger and older versions of her character well. Kal Penn was decent and it was nice to see the hot Jacinda Barrett in the film for a little bit :p though her character's kinda useless.
While I'm not Indian, I am a Chinese-Canadian who was born and raised in Canada, so I'm in a similar situation to the main character which helped me relate (though my parents are more Canadianized)...
Overall, I enjoyed the film - it isn't without its flaws but I think it's worth a watch.