The Namesake (film)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| The Namesake | |
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 Promotional poster for The Namesake |
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| Directed by | Mira Nair |
| Written by | Jhumpa Lahiri (novel) & Sooni Taraporevala |
| Starring | Tabu Irfan Khan Kal Penn Zuleikha Robinson Jacinda Barrett Sahira Nair Ruma Guha Thakurta |
| Distributed by | Fox Searchlight Pictures Mirabai Films |
| Release date(s) | March 9, 2007 |
| Language | English / Bengali / Hindi |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
The Namesake is a 2007 film which received a limited release in the United States on March 9, 2007. It has been screened at film festivals in Toronto and New York.
It is directed by Mira Nair and is based upon the novel The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri who appeared in the movie. Sooni Taraporevala adapted the novel to a screenplay.
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[edit] Plot
The Namesake describes the struggles between two first generation Indian immigrants, from West Bengal, to the United States, Ashima Ganguli (Tabu) and Ashoke Ganguli (Irfan Khan), and their children, Gogol (Kal Penn) and Sonali (Sonia) (Sahira Nair). The featured locales are Kolkata, India, New York City, Yonkers, and the New York City suburbs of Nyack, Rockland County, Scarsdale, Westchester County and Oyster Bay, Long Island.
The story begins as Ashoke and Ashima leave Calcutta and settle in New York City. Through a series of miscues, their son's nickname, Gogol (named after Ukrainian author Nikolai Gogol), becomes his official birth name, an event which will shape many aspects of his life. The film uses Gogol's struggles over his name as a jumping off point to explore large issues of integration, assimilation and cultural identity. The film chronicles Gogol's cross-cultural experiences and his exploration of his Indian heritage, as the story shifts between the United States and India. Gogol eventually meets and falls in love with two women, Maxine (Jacinda Barrett) and Moushumi (Zuleikha Robinson), while his parents struggle to understand his modern, American perspectives on dating, marriage and love.
As much as Gogol / Nikhil's experiences, the film tenderly describes the courtship and marriage of Ashima and Ashoke, and the effect of Ashoke's early death of a massive heart attack. Ashima's decision to move on with her life, selling the suburban family home and returning to Calcutta, unifies and ends the film.
[edit] Cast
- Tabu as Ashima Ganguli
- Irfan Khan as Ashoke Ganguli
- Kal Penn as Gogol Ganguli
- Sahira Nair as Sonali Ganguli
- Jacinda Barrett as Maxine Ratliffe
- Zuleikha Robinson as Moushumi Mazoomdar
- Ruma Guha Thakurta as Ashoke's Mother
[edit] Soundtrack
The soundtrack has varied music, Indian, Anglo-Indian (by Nitin Sawhney), and a French piece. One British-Indian electronica piece is State of Bengal's "IC408." The ringtone from Moushumi's mobile phone is the song "Riviera Rendezvous" by Ursula 1000 from the album Kinda' Kinky - this is the same song that is played when Gogol and Moushumi first sleep together. The Indian classical pieces (performed on screen by Tabu) were sung by Mitali Banerjee Bhawmik, a New Jersey based musician.
[edit] Critical reception
The film received favorable reviews from critics. As of January 5, 2008, the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 85% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 117 reviews.[1] Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 82 out of 100, based on 33 reviews.[2]
[edit] Top ten lists
The film appeared on several critics' top ten lists of the best films of 2007.[3]
- 6th - Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor
- 8th - Carrie Rickey, The Philadelphia Inquirer
- 8th - Claudia Puig, USA Today
- 9th - James Berardinelli, ReelViews
[edit] References
- ^ The Namesake - Rotten Tomatoes. Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved on 2008-01-05.
- ^ Namesake, The (2007): Reviews. Metacritic. Retrieved on 2008-01-05.
- ^ Metacritic: 2007 Film Critic Top Ten Lists. Metacritic. Retrieved on 2008-01-05.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- The Namesake at the Internet Movie Database
- The Namesake at Rotten Tomatoes
- The Namesake at Metacritic
- The Namesake at Box Office Mojo
- The Namesake at Allmovie
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