Interesteg What makes it different from others?

Glucedee It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

Curapedi I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

geeta_v_g As a daughter of two immigrant Indian parents, I could perfectly identify myself with the main character: the inner struggles during high school to fit in the Western world while realizing you cannot change your roots and culture. This movie was a huge eye opener to me, and many others who grow up in two different cultures and the most beautiful part is the realization that there is no superior culture. One must accept and find out what matters most and only then one can be truly free and happy.

SnoopyStyle Ashoke Ganguli (Irrfan Khan) is on a train reading Gogol in India when it crashes. After recovering from the life-altering incident, he moves to America following his train companion's advise. In 1977, he returns to Calcutta to marry singer Ashima. Ashima is homesick when they move to his poor neighborhood in Queens, New York. They have a son Gogol and a girl Sonia. Gogol (Kal Penn) hates his name and is embarrassed by his culture. After a trip to India, he becomes comfortable with his culture, decides to study architecture and switch back to his 'good' name. He falls for Maxine Ratliff (Jacinda Barrett) from a rich white family.The movie is expansive and beautiful. I love Ashima's journey. It's so touching and the quintessential immigrant story. The movie needs to be tighter with the drama. It doesn't have much drama to begin with. Also it needs to stay with her for the whole movie. I would rather this not be a movie about Gogol. The switch in the point of view works to some extend although Gogol's journey is very different. I guess the movie does need to follow him to get the name's origin. The time jumps don't always allow the story to flow but Ashima is always the emotional heart.

Syl This why movies are made in the first place. Based on the novel of the same name, a young Indian couple moves to America where they have a family including a son named Gogol and his sister Sonia. Gogol is perfectly played by Kal Penn. He gives a heart wrenching performance as the adult son torn between family and America. Everybody in this film gives a hundred percent. There are many enjoyable scenes. Gogol comes to terms with his own namesake. The filming was done between New York City and Calcutta, India. This film has rich developed characters, humor, warmth, and love. I nearly cried but didn't. It takes a lot to get me to cry but I was close.

Stanley Sham The Namesake is about a Hindu couple who are newly weds that move to the US to start their own family. It goes through their lives and focuses mainly on their son named Gogol and how he has to come to terms with being a Hindu living in America. After finishing college, he finds a job as an architect and is portrayed to have adapted to American life. He gets the bad news that his father passed away and returns back to his suburban home where they host a ritual and where he actually realizes that being Hindu might be more important than his American life. From that point on he breaks up with his girlfriend and travels back to India to have the final ceremony of scattering his father's ashes into the sea. He later on finds another love interest, an old friend who is also a Hindu and proceeds to have a traditional Hindu wedding in New York. Sadly though after a few months he finds out that his newly wedded wife, Moushumi, had been cheating on him and they soon get a divorce. Gogol returns back to his house in the suburbs where his mother currently lives and tells her what has happened and from that point on they both decide to find peace. Gogol goes around India learning more about his Hindu heritage and his mother also returns to India to practice her singing again. While watching this movie i enjoyed it thoroughly not only because it was touching but also it was very natural in the sense that everything that happened in this movie is very realistic in which it could happen in everyday life. I enjoyed the fact that even though there was a problem between the two main characters, Gogol was able to find peace in the end. Not only that but the rest of his family was able to find peace and live out their lives the way they wanted to. I also enjoyed this book because it gave me an insight to Hindu traditions and how a traditional Hindu family/person adapts to American life. Also the decision of whether Gogol should've just ignored his Hindu heritage was another really touching moment during the movie. I recommend this movie to those who like movies that will touch their hearts, and those who enjoy learning about other people's cultures.