Saturday, April 28, 2007

The Namesake

Last year, I read an interesting collection of essays by award winning author, Jhumpur Lahiri called, Interpreter of Maladies. The author also wrote a wonderful novel called, The Namesake that was made into a movie earlier this year.

I saw the movie recently and loved it. The story revolves around a young Indian immigrant and his wife in New York City (in the early 1970's) and the subsequent struggles of their children as 1st generation Indian-Americans (in the 1990s) who had to reconcile their identities and culture in this country. If you want to watch a movie this weekend, this is a good one to see.

So what movies have you seen lately?

21 comments:

Bel said...

I love migrant tales. I find them very inspirational, probably because both my parents came to Australia from abroad.

I've not heard of this movie though, so thanks for the tip Ming.

However, I'm pretty sure the lead actor is the same guy from great comedy "Van Wilder", so will have to try hard to keep a straight face ;o)

Type casting must be terrible for actors, but I'm sure he breaks the mould in this role.

Anonymous said...

I'll have to look for The Namesake. Funny you should ask about seeing movies. I've been going a bit overboard at the Tribeca Film Festival, I think, and have seen four films from different countries:
Playing the Victim - Russia
The Pelican - France
To Die a Little (Morir Un Poco) - Chile
Memories About Sayat Nova (Vospominania o Sayat Nove) - Armenia

Ming the Merciless said...

Belinda - Yes, he's also the same actor who was in Harold & Kumar.

Annulla - I'm dying to see the Lucy Liu movie about vampires. I love vampire movies. :-)

Carla Denton said...

this was the latest movie I chose to see, and loved it, as I also enjoyed Lahiri's two books. I say "chose" because I saw another movie after this, of my daughter's choice....Blades of Glory...dumb dumb dumb...I have to admit I laughed a few times, but it wasn't worth the money!!!

alice said...

The last film I've seen was "La Môme" (Edith Piaf 's life) in Paris. In Vannes, we have only two cinemas (I can see the surprise in your eyes, Ming! Vannes is a little town!)and going to the bigger one is a bitlike going to the supermarket, very far from centretown, not very attractive...And I've read "Interpreter of Maladies" last year too!

alice said...

"Town centre, city centre" are better , I think.

Fabrizio Zanelli said...

Once I adored to go to the cinema, lately I must admit I hate talking, eating, drinking, noisy, "pop-corneing" (my new word), people. So I tend to lose the magic sense of the big dark cinema feeling (that it's really magical), watching pay-per-view film at home. Screen is enough wide and sound enough good. Last films are Italians and I'm afraid you don't know them.

Anonymous said...

Hi ! ming de merciles the book can be more interresting. But the book is more large for me and is more strenuous. My parents are origin Portuguese and are come to France at 25 years old. I was born in France.

Anonymous said...

I love the movie poster or whatever kind of poster it is.

Abraham Lincoln
Brookville Daily Photo

Olivier said...

je ne connais pas comme film, dernierement j'ai vu "le dernier roi d'ecosse" avec le grandiose Forest Whitaker. je te souhaite un bon weeke end au cinema


I do not know like film, lately I saw “the last king of shells” with imposing Forest Whitaker. I wish you a good weeke end with the cinema

Z said...

I read the book when it came out and have been awaiting the movie. It's not here yet, I don't think.

TCho said...

last movie i saw was Breach, which was ok. haven't been recently because there just hasn't really been anything to entice me...

TCho said...

Oh i do want to see Fracture

Anonymous said...

Have not watched a movie in a cinema yet, in the US. Always waiting for the DVD to be released.
This movie you mentioned sounds like a real good movie. Will watch out of it :D

Annie said...

Hi Ming, most all of us can identify with immigrant stories, since most all of us are immigrants or at least children/grandchildren of immigrants. Unless we are Native American, of course.

Unknown said...

I hope to watch Spiderman!

Unknown said...

Hmmm heard that Spiderman has an evil side, oh no... is it becoming like Ming The Merciless!

arrghhhh....

Oya said...

Ming, noted...Last movie I saw, don't even remember...I have been busy:(

thwany said...

i love russian lit so reading the namesake was awesome. it was one of those books where i didn't want it to end. gogol's mom was by far one of the strongest characters in it.

i also have interpreter of maladies but haven't gotten around to reading it, will soon though.

Kate said...

The poster is quite inviting. I go to the movies in spurts--nothing for awhile and then a veritable blitz. I'm in a "nothing" period right now. We have only two small theatres left in close proximity to my neighborhood, and I abhor the mega-theatres because it takes away from the experience when I attend them.

Anonymous said...

Nice picture.

You might be interested in listening to a podcast interview that I did with Mira, Kal and the audience right after a movie preview last year. The url for the show is: http://kamlabhattshow.com

Thanks for sharing your wonderful pictures.

Kamla