New York (2009)

Starring:

John Abraham ... Sam
Mohammed J. Ali ... SWAT Team Member
Rizwan Alvi ... Yasir
Rich Bonavita ... Arabic Man
Tim Bradley ... Bellboy
Ernest E. Brown ... FBI Agent
Samrat Chakrabarti ... Yaqub
Kibwe Dorsey ... Business Man
Jae Greene ... SWAT Team Member
Dave Herring ... College Friend
Vila Ivan ... College Friend
Obaid Kadwani ... Malik
Katrina Kaif ... Maya
Dustin Kerns ... Cody
JaQuinley Kerr ... College Student
Irrfan Khan ... Roshan
Ginger Kroll ... Sarah
Neil Nitin Mukesh ... Omar
Cody Ross Pitts ... Yohan
Matthew Vietri ... College Friend / FBI Agent
Sorab Wadia ... Man who follows Sam
Aidan Wagner ... Danyal
David Winning ... Steve
Joe Zarriello ... College Student

Director:

Kabir Khan


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Director: Kabir Khan Cast: John Abraham, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Katrina Kaif, Irrfan Khan Rating: New York opens around 7 years after the 9/11 attacks with Omar (Neil Mukesh) being wrongly held captive by the FBI. Investigating officer Roshan (Irrfan Khan) offers to go easy on Omar if he agrees to spy on old-time friend Sameer (John Abraham) who the FBI suspects to be a terrorist. With a maneuvered reunion, Omar gets entry into Sameer’s house and tries hard to unveil his activist identity but fails every time, much to his relief. In contrast, Sameer himself narrates his distressing past to Omar of how he was illegally detained and brutally tortured by the FBI for 9 months, immediately after 9/11 and victimized for being a Muslim suspect in New York. New York opens on an intriguing note with Omar’s attempts to infiltrate into Sameer’s life. The ensuing chemistry between the characters keeps you riveted till the movie takes an interesting (though palpable) twist at the interval point. The terrorism theme comes into picture predominantly in the second half. The physical and mental abuse on innocent Muslims, imprisoned merely on suspicion and their consequent repercussions are effectively portrayed. But beyond that Aditya Chopra’s story doesn’t work towards the rehabilitation of the disturbed mind that has taken to the wrong path. In a way, the film turns the villain into more of an antihero imparting him no character change. Above that the commonplace climax where the FBI headquarters is held as the terrorist target doesn’t go beyond Fanaa frontiers. The terrorist is terminated but the topic of terrorism it tackles keeps long lingering. The message doesn’t come across compellingly and perhaps that’s why the director preaches with an extended epilogue. All the three lead protagonists of New York are Muslims affected by the 9/11 episode in varied ways and to different degrees. Sameer turns a scapegoat of the situation; Omar’s identity gets him in trouble, while Roshan’s character (a Muslim investigating on terrorism) offers that ray of hope prevailing amidst discriminating humankind. Unfortunately the scope it had to represent the contrast of the characters isn’t used as distinctly and effectively like in the Pakistani film Khuda Kay Liye with similar concerns. The issue of global terrorism somewhere goes for a toss with the film turning into a human emotion drama. As the victim is released from prison and his atrocities are still fresh in your mind, the intensity of his trauma is diluted with a love song stuffed in. The couple further goes on to make love and start a family. More mush comes into picture as Omar confesses his campus feelings to the married Maya (Katrina Kaif) amidst the pre-climax mayhem. Thankfully the traditional Yash Raj triangle is averted. The side-track of a frustrated Muslim driver (Nawazuddin) committing suicide doesn’t contribute to the plot and could have been avoided. John does well in his frail characterization which could have been much more convincing, intense and effective. Neil looks rehearsed in some scenes but doesn’t disappoint. Irrfan Khan never misses any punch in his lines and is as expressive as ever. Katrina Kaif doesn’t get the meatier portion and contributes to the sloppy effect. As the last frame closes amidst the Yash Raj mascot of maple leaves, you just wish the film had a lot more grit, the characters had a lot more depth and the treatment had a lot more sensitivity. Alas New York fails to break new grounds on that note. ================================================================ Movie Review: New York; Star Cast: John Abraham, Katrina Kaif, Neil Nitin Mukesh and Irrfan Khan; Director: Kabir Khan; Rating: ***1/2 - Is a must watch.

Omar (Neil) is picked up by the FBI and detained for arms found in his owned taxi. Basically it’s a well planned set up by FBI officer Roshan (Irrfan) and his boss to get Omar agreeing on to work as an undercover agent for them and infiltrate the family the life of Samir (John) and Maya (Katrina) who were Omar’s college friends 7-8 years back. Roshan suspects Samir of running a sleeper terrorism cell and he wants to nab him red handed. Omar is left with no option but to comply with Roshan’s orders but he agrees on one condition that the FBI won’t kill Samir if he agrees to surrender. Years back when in college Omar, Maya and Samir were thick buddies and Omar silently loved Maya but when she expressed her love for Samir, Omar had gone away from them. What truth Omar uncovers when he meets Samir and Maya both now a married couple with a small kid Danielle and what it all leads to forms the rest of the film.

New York can easily be considered the best film to come out of the Yash Raj stable after Chak De India. Shot entirely in the US, the film not only is on par with the best of the Hollywood films made in this genre but is a completely different experience which the Bollywood audience is not used to. You are completely hooked from the first scene of the film when Neil is arrested by FBI and the interrogation that follows by Irrfan of Neil’s. The first half is extremely well narrated and keeps you constantly guessing as to what will happen next. The interval point is a shocker and you look forward to an exciting second half. But then the pace of the second half somehow doesn’t match up that of the first half and there are some predictable things in store. But nonetheless it is packed with some really great moments. The whole frisking episode of Katrina Kaif by a cop on the road late at night and the sequences that follow it linger on your mind for long. The climax though a bit word heavy is superbly shot as well. The torture scenes shown immediately post the interval send a shiver down your spine. Pritam’s music is easy on the ears and there are no lip sync songs to hamper the proceedings.

New York scores high in the acting department with each single actor delivering his/her best. John Abraham often termed as an expressionless actor has delivered his career’s finest performance. Katrina Kaif has finally got the meatiest role of her career and she has taken full advantage of it. She is very good in emotional scenes as well. Neil in a difficult part shines. Irrfan Khan never disappoints and here again he is in great form. His scenes with Neil and also his senior officer have turned out well.

New York takes up a topical theme and perfectly exposes the wily ways of the American FBI to which over hundreds of innocent Muslim people had fallen prey to post 9/11. It is a must watch for many reasons so just don’t miss it