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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:
 An interesting look at a different culture March 28, 2007
23 out of 23 found this review helpful
Director Mira Nair's The Namesake (based on the novel) is the story of a Bengali family's journey through life in New York after emigrating from India. Their son Gogol (Kal Penn) is caught in a culture gap between his parents' old traditions of India and the clashing modern ways of the United States.
I have to admit I didn't know much about Indian culture prior to seeing this film; not the way I knew about the Japanese, the Chinese, the French, and Italians, anyway. It was easy to relate to the family's alienation and feelings of loneliness. On top of the generation gap between their parents and them, Gogol (whose father named after Russian writer Nikolai Gogol) and his sister Sonia struggle to understand their parents' take on life. The film skillfully deals with life's most important issues and stays in touch with the essence of the characters. The cinematography is beautiful and the performances are heartfelt. Kal Penn sheds his stoner image from Harold and Kumar to deliver his most poignant performance to date. The film does tend to drag a bit in certain places, but the overall experience is an enjoyable one.
Well written characters and script, great actors, and a talented director make this one a must-see for aficionados of foreign and art-house films. If you've always wondered what it's like to come from a different country and be immersed in a society such as America, then see this film. It's not a film meant for the mass audiences, but it achieves what it set out to do.
 compelling and thought-provoking...... March 28, 2007
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
THE NAMESAKE, a beautiful film about the delicate ties and tensions between family, culture and identity, is beautifully brought to the screen by the great Indian director, Mira Nair. This story, adapted from a novel, has moments of warm and infectious humor, as well as intense scenes of cultural displacement and alienation. What is especially compelling is the running theme and great significance paid to the Indian custom of one's nickname and "good name" (AKA the name with which most of the world addresses you). This subject ties into other aspects of the struggle to assimilate and come to know one's self in a culture quite alien and unfamiliar, and is beautifully illustrated in the relationships between East and West, conveyed in the film.
Ashoke Ganguli (soulfully played by Irfan Khan) is a young electrical engineer, who returns home to India, to meet and be married to beautiful Ashima (Tabu). Together, they make their home in Queens, New York, which provides great culture shock for Ashima, who has never been away from India before, and must adjust to the cold climate and unlimited supply of gas powered heating, in their modest apartment. Soon, their family begins to grow, with the arrival of their son, Gogol (Kal Penn) and daughter, Sonia (Sahira Nair). "Gogol" is their son's nickname, while Nikhil is his, more formal, good name. Gogol sticks with his nickname, in spite of the merciless teasing he endures in school, and doesn't take on the name "Nikhil" or "Nick," until he is out of high school. This name change is a significant change for the young man, torn between his Westernized self identity, and the Indian identity of his parents. On the way, he searches for his true identity, independent of his parents and the life he knew before, in his relationship with his White girlfriend, Maxine (Jacinda Barrett), and then his Bengali girlfriend, Moushumi (Zuleikha Robinson).
Mira Nair does a fantastic job telling this complex and engaging story. I particularly took notice of (and loved) her attention to distinctive cinematography, in the scenes shot in the United States, versus India. While we see rich colors and flowing light, while the family is on holiday there for the summer, the sky and surroundings are grey and dismal once the Gangulis' have settled in Queens. The color distinctions were poetry for the eyes........Also, the acting was superb. Tabu, who is well-known in India as a respected Bollywood actress, is glowing, sensitive and beautiful here. The rest of the cast was equally strong and believable. Not to be missed!
Another hit for director Mira Nair March 26, 2007
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
Well she has done it again-Mira Nair has yet brought to the screen another winning,beautiful and lyrical tale that brings great satisfaction.This time Nair has brought us the adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize winning novel, THE NAMESAKE.While this story may seem familiar in other forms,it has the universally identifiable themes of family and tradition vs assimililation into another culture-this time Indian style!Nair takes us from Calcutta to New York following two generations of the Ganguli family and their struggle to remain Indian and yet at the same time be American.The three characters that remain at the heart of the story are the two parents and their son,Gogol.Each character is fully developed and each has a definite epiphany about where they are headed in life.This film is definite Oscar material and can be thoroughly enjoyed by anyone.The pacing,like the novel,is slow and deliberate,yet not at all plodding.The story builds to the proper climax and the viewer will be carried along and will be caught up in this wonderful,absorbing story.Again....another hit for Mira Nair!
Very enjoyable March 26, 2007
The Namesake is the newest film by Mira Nair who directed Monsoon Wedding and Vanity Fair. The film centers around an Indian family living in New York. The parents Ashoke Ganguli (Irfan Khan) and Ashima Ganguli (Tabu) immigrated to American after their parents arranged to have the couple married. The story begins prior to Ashoke and Ashima's wedding when Ashoke is going to visit his grandfather via a train which ends up in a horrific accident, leaving Ashoke a changed man. For awhile the film focuses on the young couple's life in New York which was obviously a lonely time for Ashima since she did not know anybody in the US. The couple ends up having two children, Gogol and Sonia and they move out into the 'burbs.
When Gogol (Kal Penn) gets older, the adolescent angst kicks in especially during high school when his high school peers teases him for his unusual name. This soon leads to his conflict between his parents' traditional Indian heritage and his Americanized upbringing. For awhile Gogol rebels against his parents' Indian roots but when tragedy befalls the family, his Indian roots is awakened through self-realization.
The film was excellent. The writing was strong and every compelling. The conflict between America and India in Gogol was very convincing. After seeing this film, I am quite interested in reading the book that this film was based on.
Kal Penn is more known for his goofy roles like in National Lampoon's Van Wilder and Harold and Kumar goes to White Castle. I recently saw him on an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit this year in a darker, sinister role. I thought he was quite good as an actor. I hope to see him in roles like Gogol and maybe make less crappy comedy films like Van Wilder.
3 1/2 - "The Namesake" is good, but too reserved March 26, 2007
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
"The Namesake", directed by Mira Nair ("Mississippi Masala", "Monsoon Wedding") and based on the Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Jhumpa Lahiri, tells the thoughtful, well-told story of a Bengali family's life in New York. The parents move to the country, try to get acclimated, have children and then try to instill traditional values in them as they grow up and deal with their own difficulties. "The Namesake" is a very good film, but it lacks just a little something to make it a great film.
Ashoke (Irfan Khan, star of many Bollywood films) meets Ashima (Tabu) in India. Their parents are very keen on their marriage and both consent to become man and wife; Ashoke is clearly taken by Ashima's beauty and Ashima seems to be intrigued with the idea of living in America. Upon their arrival in New York, Ashoke immediately returns to work, leaving his new wife to acclimate to the new, cold weather surroundings alone. Soon, they have a child, Gogol, named after Ashoke's favorite author, Nikolai Gogol. Then, they have a daughter, Sonia. As the children grow, they become more and more entrenched in the American way of life, eschewing many of the parent's traditional beliefs. After graduating from college, Gogol (Kal Penn, "Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle", TV's "24") announces he wants to change his name, he can't see Gogol Ganguli on a resume getting him a good job. This causes a rift between father and son, causing discord in their relationship.
Directed by Mira Nair, "The Namesake" is a beautiful looking, thoughtful film. If Nair is able to accomplish anything, it is to make her films thoughtful examinations of the challenges her characters face in a new environment, or as they strain against old-fashioned ideas and morals. Her films have concentrated primarily on the experience of Indians, both in India and America, throwing her min characters into a new situation, as they face many challenges. In "The Namesake", the story centers on the Ganguli family and it is much different than I originally anticipated.
Watching the trailers, you might get the impression the film is primarily about the struggles of Gogol (Penn), as he deals with life as an Indian in the United States. Actually, his story is just a part of the overall film. The film begins in the 70s, as Ashoke travels on a train, reading a collection of works by Nikolai Gogol. Later, he meets Ashima, they marry, move to America, get to know one another, have children, and much more. The film presents a lot of detail about the lives of this family.
In less capable hands, the film would completely succumb to its `melodramatic' structure, but Nair manages to keep these tendencies at bay, for most of the film. The director makes the characters very real, showing them in very natural situations. This is the history of this family, not merely a slice of life. Because of that, we watch various, representative episodes through the years, in an attempt to get a full picture of the Ganguli family.
Irfan Khan has made about forty films, according to IMDB, and this is the first time I have ever seen him on screen. The majority of his work has been in Bollywood, but with this film, he appears to be branching out and has just completed a role in the Anjelina Jolie film about journalist Daniel Pearl and his wife. Khan is really good as Ashoke. He makes the character seem real by imbuing him with feelings and attitudes that seem real. He almost doesn't appear to be acting; he appears to be pulling thoughts and ideas from his real life to make this character seem more realistic. When he is happy, he smiles slightly, when he is upset, his eyes narrow and he stares at the person he is talking to. He isn't effusive, but realizes he has to protect his family and try to live with their mistakes, even if he disagrees.
Tabu is also very good as Ashima, the Ganguli family matriarch. As soon as she arrives in America, she tries to acclimate, on her own, but finds it too much. When Ashoke realizes this, he becomes much more compassionate, maybe even falls in love with her a little more. As she grows older, and her children grow older, she becomes more of a patriarch, more of a guiding force in her children's lives.
Kal Penn is probably the most recognizable face in the cast. He is good, but he is not a great actor. Penn is capable of delivering the emotions necessary to portray Gogol, the young man torn between tradition and his desire to be a modern American, but he only delivers the one emotion, or thought, never making his character seem real. When Gogol is supposed to be sad, Penn frowns. When he is happy, Penn smiles. There is never anything underneath the surface, never a layer of conflict or a layer of any other emotion than the one he is supposed to portray at that given moment. This makes his performance serviceable, but not much else.
Initially, I thought the film would be primarily about Gogol, which would mean a lot of screen time for Penn. I was surprised to find the film is more of a family portrait, charting the course of this family's journey to America and how they deal with all of their problems. This helps the film because it takes the focus off of Penn and let's the other actors, the better actors, contribute to the success of the film. The other actors are better.
Jacinda Barrett ("Poseidon", "School for Scoundrels") appears as Gogol's American girlfriend. And she is also serviceable. It is easy to see why he would be attracted to her, physically, but she is also a little boring. She is always smiling, a little giggly, which fits her character well. But we never really learn anything about her. At one point, Gogol asks her about her dreams and ambitions. Her replay is "I don't want to think about it now".
Nair has a real knack for pulling away the layers, allowing her characters to show their feelings in a natural way. Ashoke is a complicated character, and we see that in just about every scene, every conversation, every action. Nair allows the character to retain their Indian roots and heritage, yet deal with life in America. Throughout the film, the family has traditional celebrations, interacts with the Indian community and through these moments, we get a glimpse of this culture. I am not an expert, but because these moments are so thoughtful, and interesting, I have no doubt they are also realistic as well.
"The Namesake" is a well-made and thoughtful film, but because of the very reasons it is well made, it is less than great. Because the film covers so much territory, it seems slightly melodramatic, cutting through the film's power like a knife to butter. The scenes are well done and get the message across, but they give the film an episodic structure. There is an overall theme to the film, Gogol accepting his heritage and identity, and there is another layer below that, which I won't reveal, but because the scenes are episodic, they don't allow the story to generate any heat or power, to make it resonate with the viewer. The final moments will move you, I just wish there were more moments like this throughout the film.
As you watch, you will become engrossed in the lives of these characters, then the story shifts, and you have to become familiar with them again, at this new point in their lives. This isn't bad, but these scenes don't always grab us, and demand our attention. After a while, they become a little routine and our attention shifts.
"The Namesake" is a well-made film, worth your attention, but it is not an incredible film, or a memorable film. You will likely only remember it when you hear about Mira Nair's next film.
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