SunnyHello Nice effects though.

Dotsthavesp I wanted to but couldn't!

FirstWitch A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

Kayden This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

ryanzellers2000 Throughout the novel Gogol's life is explained in depth and through time. But in the movie time is not as evident and for example when Gogol in the novel finds out his wife is cheating on him there is a huge build up, starting with Moshumi getting frustrated with Gogol constantly and Gogol being completely in the dark about Moshumi's unhappiness. Moshumi finds a letter from an old flame that she ends up meeting and she becomes unlawful to her husband. Eventually Gogol finds out. But in the movie there is no build up there is old flame he just approaches her on the subject one day in the airport and they split apart. After the divorce almost a year later they show Ashima leaving their house permanently. But there is no apparent time difference it makes you believe that Gogol isn't even divorced by the time his mother moves back to India.

squawlocal I read the "namesake" as part of a school project, then we watched the movie in class. I thought that the movie did a good job of portraying what was said in the book. I did think that there were a few things that were left out of the movie that could have made it a little better.There were a few things that the movie brought light to that made me think about what other peoples lives are like. People who weren't born in the US. It shows the parallels between the cultures of India and America.All in all I think that this is a good movie, but there were some things that weren't done that I think would have made the movie better.

Anurag Wankhede The NamesakeI saw this movie today. Didn't read the novel though but was able to connect I guess .It was a nice journey with Ashima,Ashoke,Gogol,Maxy,Ms Muzumdar,Mr Ghosh. Mira Nair again did a awesome job with the direction. The cinematography was commendable. The Howrah Railway station really reminds me of my commuting between Kharagpur and Kolkata. And the Howrah Bridge was revived from time to time, thus establishing the Indian connection. But the character that impressed me most is surely Ashima. She is perfect portrayal of Bengali woman, who is shy yet confident, childish yet mature. Tabu really did justice to Ashima. And Ashoke, his character was crafted very intricately. And then comes Gogol. His part, a teenage boy looking for way out and thus getting carried away and then his way back, Its Awesome.

Roland E. Zwick Based on the novel by Jhumpa Lahiri, "The Namesake" is a moving and thoughtful tale of two generations of Bengalese living in the United States.The movie begins in India in 1977 with the arranged marriage between the sheltered Ashima (Tabu) and a young college professor named Ashoke (Irrfan Khan) who lives and works in New York City. The film chronicles their early years as a couple, the births of their son and daughter, and the eventual maturing of those children into highly Americanized young adults. The issue of arranged marriage - or at least the avoidance of a mixed marriage - inevitably comes to the fore as the young man, Gogol ("Harold and Kumar"'s Kal Penn), falls in love with a beautiful blonde artist he brings home to meet his parents.With tenderness and sensitivity, "The Namesake" illuminates a dilemma that all immigrants must one day face: how to assimilate oneself into the adopted culture while, at the same time, remaining faithful to one's roots. The movie astutely captures the tension that develops between parents and their offspring when first-generation youngsters have no affection for - or even interest in - the Old World customs.But this is more than just your typical multi-cultural generation-gap drama; it is an intensely moving look at personal identity, at marital and filial relationships, and at the deep and abiding bond that is family. For, in the end, Gogol learns that he must embrace both sides of his heritage if he is to have any hope of discovering the person he truly is.But personal growth is not limited solely to the younger generation, for the adults are forced to accept the fact that traditionalism comes with its own limitations and drawbacks as well.The movie is bolstered by beautiful performances - most notably by Tabu and Khan as the two parents - and by lyrical and sensitive direction by Mira Nair, most renowned in this country for "Salaam Bombay," "Mississippi Masala," and "Monsoon Wedding." With little fuss or fanfare, "The Namesake" manages to tell an epic story while remaining intimate in scope and specific in detail. The screenplay by Sooni Taraporevala constantly shifts its point-of-view, so that different characters become the "protagonist" at various points in the story. The result is a richly observed and fully rounded perspective on the events that unfold."The Namesake" is a beautiful and heartfelt work overflowing with wisdom and universal appeal.