Friday, March 23, 2007

The Namesake

THE BUZZ:

GOOD MOVIE, GOOD ACTING, GOOD STORY


THE THEME:

THE NAMESAKE comes to us with impressive credentials. Mira Nair has given us movies that entertain and provoke. Sooni Taraporevala is an acclaimed photographer and scriptwriter. Jhumpa Lahiri’s novel was well received. Tabu needs no introduction as a serious and accomplished actress. Likewise Irfan Khan always comes up an impressive performance. Kal Penn is the face of overseas Indian perpetually dealing with the angst of being an alien in a land where he was born and brought up. The character actors like Ruma Guha Thakurta, Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Tanushree Shanker, are all names to reckon with.

THE SHELL

Born in the USA, bred of Bengali parents, torn between two cultures. That is the shell of the Namesake. Those who have read the novel will have a fair idea of what is to come.
Those who haven’t, can enjoy the surprise. Big names and the hat-ke movie will draw the discerning crowds to the cinema halls. Reviewers are expected to praise the movie. In all fairness, the movie is likely to be worthy of it.

For a full list of credits check http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0433416/fullcredits

THE FEEL:

You are not likely to find houseful boards there just yet. But the sale might pick up. No rickshawallahs in the hall to whistle along with the proceedings. A MUST SEE FOR THE REGULAR MIDDLE CLASS UPWARD CROWD THAT HUNGER'S FOR GOOD DECENT MOVIES TO WATCH. Movies that are like movies and less like kitsch.


THE SPIEL:

When Bend it like Beckham released in India, it was a huge hit. The cinema hall was full of young college going crowd and several ‘families’. Their empathy with a dark skinned girl who just wants to play football and make out with her cute coach was total. The movie was ‘dil se’ and real. Ever since then, this crowd of filmgoers has been adopting wholeheartedly movies by Gurinder Chadda, Mira Nair, Deepa Mehta which speak about the Indian diaspora, albeit on the celluloid.

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