THE NAMESAKE

THE NAMESAKE EMIGRATES EXQUISITELY

This beautiful film, both visually and spiritually, lets us join on the path taken by an Indian man, Ashoke Ganguli (Irrfan Khan) from New York, where is currently lives, back to his birthplace in Calcutta, where he agrees upon an arranged marriage with the enchanting, Ashima (Tabu). Once they move back to New York they spend time getting to know each other while Ashima adjusts to American life. They have two children; Gogol (Cal Penn) and Sonia (Sahira Nair). The movie grows as the characters grow and develop. Gogol wants nothing to do with his heritage until his family returns home to Calcutta and he is forcibly immersed in tradition. Throughout the film we are presented with explanations about the origin of Gogol's name, which he changes to sound more American. He also dates a white, upper-crust girl, Maxine, which his family is less than delighted to meet. Then Gogol's world turns upside down. He finds the importance in his heritage and is able to find a way to balance both worlds. It is then that he understands what his name means and how important it is. This film is simply remarkable. It is heartfelt and you care about the characters and their trials and tribulations. I found myself smiling with their joy and tearing up in their sorrow. Amazingly the time span during this film is great and the characters look and act realistically. (Some films do not handle such transitions well and it can detract so much from the movie.) Penn (who is well known for 'Harold and Kumar go to White Castle') does an amazing job transitioning from a disrespectful, ungrateful boy to a responsible, sensitive and strong man of character. As an actor who has done many "teen/comedy" movies, he proves that really can act in this film. This movie was a joy to watch and touched my heart.
Pick: Amazing and beautiful film; a definite must see