The Namesake [DVD]

Like New condition

Like her previous films VANITY FAIR, MONSOON WEDDING, and HBOs HYSTERICAL BLINDNESS, Mira Nairs THE NAMESAKE is a lush, beautiful film bursting with rich colour and visual texture.  Based on the bestselling book by Jhumpa Lahiri, the film follows two generations of the Ganguli family.  After wedding via an arranged marriage, Ashima moves with Ashoke from her native Calcutta to New York.  As Ashima struggles to adjust to life in her new home, a true love grows between the newlyweds.  When they give birth to Gogol (who does not learn the true origin of his name until adulthood), the Gangolis decide to stay in American for their child's sake, settling in the suburbs and eventually giving birth to a daughter, Sonia.  While Ashima and Ashoke attempt to balance their new life with Indian traditions, their children have the very different experience of being raised first-generation Americans.  With little interest in their ancestry, both Gogol and Sonia disappoint their parents by having little respect for the sacrifices their parents made for them. 

Packed with unique characters, THE NAMESAKE offers audiences an outlet into Bengali traditions and the immigrant experience while telling a universal story of family bonds which all parents and children should connect with.  Nair excels in what is her most personal work to date. 

Rated 7.5 on IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0433416/

Running time: 117 minutes