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| The Namesake | 
 enlarge | Director: Mira Nair
Actors: Irfan Khan, Kal Penn, Jagannath Guha, Ruma Guha Thakurta, Tabu
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Category: DVD
List Price: $19.98
Buy Used: $1.84
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Avg. Customer Rating:  82 reviews
Sales Rank: 2405
Format: Ac-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, Dvd-video, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), French (Original Language), Hindi (Original Language), English (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), Spanish (Dubbed)
Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 122
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6
MPN: FOXD2245608D
UPC: 024543456087
EAN: 0024543456087
ASIN: B000U2U0E4
Theatrical Release Date: March 9, 2007
Release Date: November 27, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Truly Universal and Cathartic Adaptation of Lahiri's Time-Spanning Novel December 21, 2007
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
Meticulously observed and wonderfully heartfelt, this time-spanning 2007 family dramedy represents a return to form for director Mira Nair, who faltered somewhat with 2004's elaborate but lugubrious Vanity Fair. This one is also a literary adaptation but this time from a contemporary best-seller by Jhumpa Lahiri, who wrote an emotionally drawn story about first generation Bengali immigrants to the United States and their U.S.-born children. It's an intricate book full of careful nuances, and Nair, along with screenwriter Sooni Taraporevala, captures most of them in a most loving manner. The story speaks fluently to the universal struggle to extricate ourselves from the obligation of family and a perceived enslavement to the past. Nair and Taraporevala manage to transcend the necessarily episodic nature of the novel to make it an involving journey toward self-acceptance.
The film initially focuses on Ashoke Ganguli and his arranged marriage to Ashima, a classically trained singer. The young couple move from Calcutta in 1977 to Queens in order for him to pursue his career as an electrical engineer. The adjustment is difficult, especially for Ashima in assimilating into the often cold U.S. culture, and these quiet scenes show a keen eye for subtle observation. They quickly have two children in succession, son Gogol and daughter Sonia. Gogol's name is the key plot point as he was inadvertently after Ashoke's favorite writer, Nikholai Gogol, and this is revealed to have greater significance as the story unfolds. Eventually, the film switches the perspective to Gogol's as he grows up, changes his name to Nikhil and starts his life as a yuppie architect in Manhattan.
At the same, the film does not abandon Ashoke and Ashima as they remain significant figures in shaping Gogol's destiny, especially as the impact of a tragic turn brings unexpected changes. The cathartic aspect of these scenes is what makes the film powerful. Moreover, with her filmmaking experience in her native India and the U.S., Nair brings a seamless fluency to both locales. The movie falters a bit toward the end when it starts to ramble and feel pat, but the story's old world gravitas rescues it just in time. Beforehand I was convinced Kal Penn would be the spoiler in this film, but he gives a sharp, dedicated performance as Gogol. Poised to be taken seriously as an actor even amid his White Castle and Van Wilder movies, he seems a bit exaggerated only in the early teenage scenes which recall those other movies.
However, it is the superb work of Irfan Khan and Tabu as his parents that make the film soar. Both bring a level of assurance and compassion that ground the film completely, especially Tabu who makes the seemingly modest character arc of Ashima really striking. Playing yet another variation of the spoiled American girl, Jacinda Barrett again proves how fearless an actress she can be in exposing the vanity and ignorance of Maxine, Gogol's first serious girlfriend. As Moushumi, the Bengali girl who comes with the family's seal of approval, Zuleikha Robinson has a ripe presence to match her character's aspiring worldliness. Cinematographer Frederick Elmes and production designer Stephanie Carroll provide masterful work in capturing the diverse flavors of the different locales. This film is for anyone who has struggled to forge his or her own identity only to find the need to embrace the past, especially those of us who have parents who displayed the courage to move from their native lands.
The 2007 DVD offers a robust set of extras, and the best is easily Nair's informative commentary track full of both professional and personal insights. Instead of the standard making-of featurette, we have a half-hour video, "Anatomy of `The Namesake': A Class at Columbia University's Graduate Film School" in which Nair and producer Lydia Dean Pilcher discuss more technical aspects of the filmmaking with the school's film students. There are a couple of photo gallery shorts emphasizing the film's impressive visuals, one covering the film overall and the other specific to Kolkata. Rounding out the extras are three brief deleted scenes (with optional commentary), a short interview with Penn, and several theatrical trailers.
Loved the book and the movie....very reminiscent..... December 9, 2007
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
I listened to the audio version narrated by Sarita Choudhury over a period of weeks while driving around and loved it. I remember vividly the times it brought me to tears or when I would sit in the parking lot of a grocery store mesmerized by the story. Today, I finally watched the movie with my daughter on DVD and both of us loved the movie. We weren't too embarrassed to cry and often just watched quietly with a lump in our throats. I think it means more to someone who can relate to that type of family background, who also came to this country as a student. I especially liked how Mira Nair was able to portray so well, the strong bond of affection between Ashok and Ashima. Having read the book, I could feel all the emotions Ashima was feeling....Tabu is just superb in this role. My only wish for the book was that Jhumpa Lahiri had developed the daughter's character a little more. I know how central a daughter's role is in an Indian family and it seemed like Sonia was always in the background. All in all, a top ten favorite.
 "Embrace The New, Don't Forget The Old" ~ Living Life Without Borders December 9, 2007
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
The '06 release `Namesake' is a movie about living life and embracing the diversity of human experience without forgetting your family and the cultural roots from which you sprang. The most common theme in Indian films is the importance of family and loving ones parents. Though this is an American film the storyline and message are purely Indian in content and delivery.
While the plot is well constructed and imbued with pathos and depth, I found the film to be a little slow in development and somewhat short on emotional peak moments necessary to keep the audience fully involved. The real strength of the film is in the wonderful performances by Tabu and Ifran Khan as the newly married couple who leave India to embrace a new life in America. They are magical together and their understated yet profound performances are a joy to watch as they journey through life tied by a bound of unspoken love slowly unfolding in the years following their arranged marriage. Also starring in `Namesake' is the popular Kal Penn as their American born son Gogol.
Solid production values, excellent wistful soundtrack, poignant message and life lessons topped off by a number of excellent performances make `Namesake' a film well worth investing 122 minutes of your time.
Involving Tale of Immigrant Parents and American Children, with a Sense of Humor. December 7, 2007
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
"The Namesake" is the most memorable and enjoyable of all the films about South Asian immigrant families that I've seen. Based on the novel by Jhumpu Lahiri and directed by Mira Nair, it expounds on a familiar theme: Traditional immigrant parents struggling with a new culture and perplexed by their Westernized offspring. This film is always in motion, respectful of the characters' emotions but never stopping to wallow in them. It treats the parents' conventions and perspective as a matter of fact, not as a source of conflict or an issue in need of examination. Along with the striking performances, this approach sets "The Namesake" apart from other films with a similar premise.
In 1977, Ashoke Ganguli (Irrfan Khan) returns to his family home in Calcutta, India to find a bride to join him in New York, where he is a graduate student. Ashima (Tabu) is the playful, elegant young woman who agrees to marry Ashoke and embark on a new life far away from her country and family. The couple have a son, whom they name Gogol after the Russian writer whose stories played a role in a pivotal event in Ashoke's life. Gogol (Kal Penn) and his sister Sonia (Sahira Nair) grow up both fascinated and annoyed by their Indian heritage, while their parents are bewildered yet tolerant of their self-centered American children. Gogol's priorities and loyalty to family sometimes conflict, like his lifelong love-hate relationship with his name.
"The Namesake" is as much about Ashima's adaptation as about Gogol's dual cultural identities. Bollywood star Tabu is beautiful but not pristinely so. Her face is so interesting that I never stopped wanting to look at her. She is radiant, self-contained, and thoroughly sympathetic. Irrfan Khan is amazing as unassuming, even-tempered Ashoke. My first impression of the cinematography was of "ordinariness". In fact, the work is very good and suits "The Namesake" perfectly. The view is always interesting. Color and design don't draw attention to themselves but reinforce the characters' authenticity. With first-rate performances and characters that make the audience curious to know them better, "The Namesake" may be Mira Nair's best film. In English and Bengali with subtitles.
The DVD (20th Century Fox 2007): Bonus features include 3 deleted scenes, a theatrical trailer, 4 featurettes, and an audio commentary. "The Anatomy of The Namesake: A Class at Columbia University's Graduate Film School" (32 min) features the director, producer Lydia Dean Pilcher, DP Frederick Elmes, the production designer, editor, and casting director explaining their work and answering students' questions. "Fox Movie Channel Presents: In Character with Kal Penn" (4 min) interviews the actor about Gogol. "Kolkata Love Poem" (4 min) is a visual tribute to the locations in India, with music. "Photography as Inspiration" (8 min) showcases some photos and the scenes that drew on them. The audio commentary by director Mira Nair is constant and detailed. She discusses her inspirations, intentions, and the elements of each scene, and how the film connects the worlds of New York and Calcutta. Subtitles are available for the film in English, Spanish, French. Dubbing available in Spanish.
Lovely film! December 5, 2007
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
This is a very touching film about a young woman who meets a young man by the arrangement of the parents. The story revolves anrond the couple and the life that they make for themselves and their children in America. Actor, Kal Penn, practically begged Mira Nair (director of Monsoon Wedding and Mississippi Masala) for the role he plays here. You may know him from Harold and Kumar go to White Castles or other silly comedies. Penn longed to trade in his goofy, crazy film persona for one more serious and dramatic. I'm happy to say he did a fine job here and know you can see him on televsion in the new doctor show called House. His persistance paid off.
Penn's charachter is named Gogol, after Russian novelist Nikolai Gogol. Gogol doesn't like being the novelist's namesake. The film moves back and forth from Calcutta to New York and contrasts the lives of the characters in much the same way. A couple from India moves to New York and brings their traditions with them only to be scorned and laughed at by their American born children who are New Yorkers to the core.
Kal Penn is correct when he states that this is an American film. This story could have been told from anyone's perspective. It could be an African family or an Irish family. The story is not really driven by nationality. The kids listen to rock and soul, smoke pot and don't really care about family customs. At some point later in the film, Gogol learns exactly why his father gave him this name. I won't spoil it for you here. Life brings changes and reactions to those changes are very different with each family member. The Namesake is definately a character driven film. Mira Nair has done a wonderful job directing here. In it one can sense the pain she felt in losing someone close to her because she uses that pain as a vehicle to drive the film, as it were. Still, the film is not as heavy handed as it could have been with another director. There is sadness but there is light heartedness which runs throughout.
The cinematography is lovely especially in India. Shots of the Taj Mahal are beautiful. The entire cast performs wonderfully. Kudos to all. Tabu plays Ashima Ganguli (the mother) with modesty and grace. Irfan Khan who plays Ashoke Ganguli (the father) uses very subtle facial expressions to convey feelings and thoughts. Any more than that would have been overkill.
Please enjoy this movie. Although there is some nudity, albeit brief, there are no sex scenes. This movie has been rated pg 13.
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