Directed by
Mira Nair
122 minutes
Rated M
Reviewed by
Sharon Hurst
The Namesake
Synopsis: In Calcutta, in 1977, young Ashoke Ganguli (Irrfan Khan) is travelling on a train, reading a novel by Gogol, when the train has a horrendous crash. Some years later, Ashokeis living in New York, but travels briefly back to India to get an arranged bride, Ashima (Tabu). When their son is born they name him Gogol. Young Gogol (Kal Penn) is often embarrassed by his name, changes it to Nick and pursues a very American way of life. He takes up with blonde WASP-ish girlfriend Maxine (Justine Barrett)but a life-changing experience brings Gogol to engage with his Indian heritage, and later leads him to Moushumi (Zuleikha Robinson).The Namesake is a film in which little appears to happens and yet everything important in a deeper sense does. It is a film of family, connectedness and roots, with deeply moving performances and sensitive direction. Nair has realized her intention of making a small and intimate film that reflects her own experience of being an non-resident Indian. In tiny gestures and simple scenes, volumes are spoken, depths of emotion plumbed. For example, when Ashoke brings his bride, who is virtually a stranger to him, back to America, we see the gentle way in which he woos her, so subtly expressed with a shot of him placing his arm across her sleeping form. Or the shot of the family waving goodbye to Ashima as she leaves for America. Nothing is overdone in the direction, leaving us space to empathise with the characters..
Young Penn gives a rivetting performance as Gogol, seamlessly capturing the transition of the teenager to adulthood, and the changes he undergoes as he eventually begins to understand his background. Totally affecting are the performances of Khan and Tabu, both notable Bollywood actors. Ashoke is a contemplative man of extreme depth, appreciating the gift he has been given as a survivor, while Ashima is a talented woman, removed from her homeland to the role of wife and mother. And yet the bond and love that grows between these two is beautifully expressed in the delicate performances of both actors, often more in looks than spoken words. Australian-born Jacinta Barrett captures the little Miss Rich Girl character well, while exotic Zuleikha Robinson is a wonderful foil for her as Moushumi.
The film covers a long time span, which can be challenging, but here the aging of the characters is absolutely believable. The portrayal of the two major cities, New York and Calcutta, also adds wonderful contrast, underscoring the theme of differences, which in time, for the characters become intertwined and almost inseparable, as is the mix of music, from Indian classical to modern American pop.
For immigrants from all countries The Namesake will resonate with their own experiences but even for those of us who’ve stayed where we were born, we can only feel richer for experiencing this beautiful, and, at times, tear-inducing, story of who we are and where we belong.
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