Plot: American-born Gogol, the son of Indian immigrants, wants to fit in among his fellow New Yorkers, despite his family's unwillingness to let go of their traditional ways.
Starring: Tabu, Irrfan Khan, Kal Penn, Zuleikha Robinson, Jacinda Barrett, Sebastian Roché, Sahira Nair, Ruma Guha Thakurta, Sabyasachi Chakrabarty, Supriya Devi
My Review and Thoughts:
This is a story of struggle and the reality of cultural settings and exploring a new atmosphere and the change of new.
Ashoke and Ashima Ganguli marry. Ashoke has been living in America and has lived the American culture were as Ashima is an Indian Woman thick in India culture. The marriages are arranged and the culture is a setting of structure and complex ways.
Ashoke moves Ashima to America. Both are now immigrants in this strange new world and filled with experiences and both must adjust to an American lifestyle, specifically Ashima.
The Namesake is a stunningly beautiful film at times. The wonderful thick visuals and imagery of the Indian culture is amazing. You witness the music, the stunning artistic reality and beauty of their artwork, their clothes and their lifestyle.
While I might not agree with certain situations specifically forced and arranged marriages; overlooking that this is a sweet tale of two individuals brought together by a cultural reality and in a sense fall in love.
There is an ultimate companionship between the two as both adjust to married life and both adjust to the American way. They soon make love and Ashima becomes pregnant.
They give a nick name Gogol to there child. After the Russian author Nikolai Gogol. The name will be a main focal point to the story as the movie unfolds.
This is based on the book by the same name written wonderfully by Jhumpa Lahiri. A stunning story teller and an amazing word artist. This was directed by Mira Nair.
Mira Nair creates a wonderful atmosphere, stunningly emotional and depictions of truth and a believable story on screen. The film comes together flawlessly and creates something that's memorable, something that is stunning, something that touches the heart strings, something that we can all relate to in one way or another.
For this might be about two Indian cultured individuals, but we all can relate to the idea of struggling to fit in. Struggling to succeed. The struggle to get over the emotional turmoil of lost loved ones. The struggle of raising family and nurturing and taking care of children. There is so much that combines the story together that the viewer can believe and accept and understand.
As they give birth to another child, both children grow up Americanized. Becoming the stereo typical young teenage characters, music, drugs, tv, dressing wild and both totally falling away from the Indian culture that their parents know so well. Both try to instill in their children the Indian culture but the American influence often overtakes.
Soon the children experience the beauty of there culture through a trip vacation supplied by there parents.
This is a moving portrait of a family. The struggles of life and one young man trying to make his way and be his own person while experiencing and understanding his parents beliefs and life experiences.
I highly recommend this touching drama. A wonderful experience of culture, emotions and life.