The namesake-revisited

The namesake dircted by Mira Nair, is poetry in motion though with couple of jig jags. The story as all of you must have read is of an immigrant named Ashok Ganguly , a 70's import to america. The movie is a panorama of cultural shifts which the protagonists undergo as well as his family members. Drama an attribute of modern day cinema with hystronics is conspicuously missing in the enitre movie. Nothing dramatic ever happens nor any of the emotions displayed ever betray your thoughts. There is a post mortem thought of "Nothing achieved" but during the movie you are quite engrossed in matching the sequences which you think, to the screen in front of you. The background score is good but silence has not been used in the best possible way.
Quite a number of loose ends like it was never explained why Ashok ( at the age of 52(?)) would leave Ashima for a sabbatical to ohio, a vague after thought from Ashima on how Ashok wanted to teach her to "live alone" doesnot justify Ashok repeated requests to Ashima of moving along with him and also no strong reason was provided as to why Ashima wanted to stay back.
The characters have been subdued and though the director had the luxuary of very few characters , there was not attempt made of actually going strong on the same. Changes in Gogol's outlook, attitude didnt make any sense, as the criteria for which he chose Moushumi were i beleive laid on fair skin and suitble nocturnal expertise. Gogol's confusion which is the central theme of the book is somehow not reflected at all. What did he understoond from his dad, and why suddenly he becomes an inspiration was not very clear to me. There are few shots of the father and son, and too much is left to the viewers to decipher which is definitely not possible when you watch a movie but is possible when you read a book, and after thoughts on the reasons leave you high and dry for the answers. I though do beleive that this is a good way to increase enthusiasm for the book and am sure, the sales will pick up definitely precisely for the fact that viewers need answers.