My Name is Khan (B- or 2.5/4 stars)
A Muslim immigrant from India goes on an odyssey across America to clear his name of terrorist ties & win back his wife in 'My Name is Khan', a Bollywood melodrama directed by Karan Johar; and it's told in Hindu, with flashes of English, here & there. The film opens with Rizvan Khan (Shahrukh Khan) on the road in a quest to meet Pres. Obama to tell him, 'My Name is Khan, & I am not a terrorist'. In flashbacks to his early life in India, we witness his mother nurturing him (as a youngen, Tanay Chheda) through a neurological disorder. Years pass, & his brother emigrates to San Francisco to achieve success. Their beloved mother dies, & Khan decides to join his brother in California. Against all odds (and boy, do I mean it), he gets a job as a beauty products salesman, & wins the love of a hairdressing single mom, Mandira (played extremely well by Kajol, quite the beauty).
Here's the problem: she is Hindu. To this, Khan's brother cuts him off completely. He still suffers with - what is discovered to be - a high-functioning form of Asperger's syndrome. He hates loud noises & the color yellow. BUT, he & Mandira are so in love that it doesn't seem to matter. He, she, & her son, Sameer (Yuvaan Makar) carve out a wonderful, if simple existence. Then 9/11 occurs. Everyone is devastated. But as we know, Americans cannot tell apart Muslims from Arabs or Hindus & Indians. Hatred ensues. Violence ensues. Rizvan is detained by authorities at LAX who mistake his disability for suspicious behavior. And a fairly predictable tragedy occurs; tearing Khan & Mandira apart.
Worse than that, Mandira blames Khan, of all people, for the source of the tragedy. To her, the fact that his last name is Khan - and that she married him, hence receiving his last name - is what constituted the tragedy. The rest of the film then becomes a pilgrimage of redemption where Khan deems it necessary to deal with his affliction & tell the president (for him & his wife) that though his name is Muslim, that he is not a terrorist. The journey he goes on (through many states) is one that recalls Homer's odyssey; encountering a plethora of diverse people & places en route to his triumphant physical & emotional destination.
That said, I wasn't a fan of his improbable detour in the Deep South with a heavy black woman named Mama Jenny (Jennifer Echols). Furthermore, he returns to her later in the proceedings to help when Hurricane Wilhemina strikes her poor, rural village. I just didn't accept that this plot point would occur; especially when a host of Muslims (who'd been tracking Khan's journey) show up, wading through the floods, to help the community rebuild. Another criticism I have of the film is its reliance, at times, for hokey dialogue & trite narrative incidents. But those hindrances aside (along with the testing 160 min. running time), I found this film to be emotionally potent, well dressed, very well acted, & daring in its socio-political revelations. There are even moments of comedy which shine through. i.e., Khan reads through a copy of Intercourse for Dumbos to get through his virginal wedding night.
Shahrukh Khan gives a great performance as our quiet, yet charismatic hero. Through all of his physical & mental 'ticks', he's still able to express a wide range of emotions. And as mentioned, any amusing moments (at his expense) are handled respectfully & serve to lighten the plot's heavy moments. This film is chock full of melodrama. But it's easy to forgive because we're given 160 minutes(!) to care about the tolerant, compassionate Rizvan & his journey. And it tackles a subject American movies tend to avoid - racial profiling of Muslim-Americans. There's nothing 'stand-out' amazing about 'My Name is Khan'. It wears out its welcome near the end, it won't win awards, & nor should it. But I mildly enjoyed the ride, overall. And I dig its sappy message about hope, honesty, & love.
Here's the problem: she is Hindu. To this, Khan's brother cuts him off completely. He still suffers with - what is discovered to be - a high-functioning form of Asperger's syndrome. He hates loud noises & the color yellow. BUT, he & Mandira are so in love that it doesn't seem to matter. He, she, & her son, Sameer (Yuvaan Makar) carve out a wonderful, if simple existence. Then 9/11 occurs. Everyone is devastated. But as we know, Americans cannot tell apart Muslims from Arabs or Hindus & Indians. Hatred ensues. Violence ensues. Rizvan is detained by authorities at LAX who mistake his disability for suspicious behavior. And a fairly predictable tragedy occurs; tearing Khan & Mandira apart.
Worse than that, Mandira blames Khan, of all people, for the source of the tragedy. To her, the fact that his last name is Khan - and that she married him, hence receiving his last name - is what constituted the tragedy. The rest of the film then becomes a pilgrimage of redemption where Khan deems it necessary to deal with his affliction & tell the president (for him & his wife) that though his name is Muslim, that he is not a terrorist. The journey he goes on (through many states) is one that recalls Homer's odyssey; encountering a plethora of diverse people & places en route to his triumphant physical & emotional destination.
That said, I wasn't a fan of his improbable detour in the Deep South with a heavy black woman named Mama Jenny (Jennifer Echols). Furthermore, he returns to her later in the proceedings to help when Hurricane Wilhemina strikes her poor, rural village. I just didn't accept that this plot point would occur; especially when a host of Muslims (who'd been tracking Khan's journey) show up, wading through the floods, to help the community rebuild. Another criticism I have of the film is its reliance, at times, for hokey dialogue & trite narrative incidents. But those hindrances aside (along with the testing 160 min. running time), I found this film to be emotionally potent, well dressed, very well acted, & daring in its socio-political revelations. There are even moments of comedy which shine through. i.e., Khan reads through a copy of Intercourse for Dumbos to get through his virginal wedding night.
Shahrukh Khan gives a great performance as our quiet, yet charismatic hero. Through all of his physical & mental 'ticks', he's still able to express a wide range of emotions. And as mentioned, any amusing moments (at his expense) are handled respectfully & serve to lighten the plot's heavy moments. This film is chock full of melodrama. But it's easy to forgive because we're given 160 minutes(!) to care about the tolerant, compassionate Rizvan & his journey. And it tackles a subject American movies tend to avoid - racial profiling of Muslim-Americans. There's nothing 'stand-out' amazing about 'My Name is Khan'. It wears out its welcome near the end, it won't win awards, & nor should it. But I mildly enjoyed the ride, overall. And I dig its sappy message about hope, honesty, & love.