New York Movie Reviews ... POST HERE - Page 3

Originally posted by: TallyHo

Saw it last night ...its definitely worth a watch...will write a detailed review soon.....😊

Originally posted by: jessica18

I saw it today!!! Its worth going to watch it. Trust me its awesome!! Kat and Johns acting is wow especially Kats!!!!👏

Are there any other reviews besides Taran Adarsh's? I'm genetically programmed to not believe a word he writes. 🤔

Director: Kabir Khan
Cast: John Abraham, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Katrina Kaif, Irrfan Khan
Rating: **1/2

Review: New York is a compelling watch
Movie
New York
Director
Kabir Khan
Cast
John Abraham, Katrina Kaif, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Irrfan Khan

Sonia Chopra

We're all fascinated with terrorists – what makes them bomb up innocent people; do they have a backstory that prods them onto a destructive path; do they feel remorse and so on. Films too find terrorists a wonderful subject and go on to explore their lives – but it's such a complex, sensitive issue; one wonders if it's outside the scope of a mainstream film.

Anyway, what you have here is a nice, love triangle (a given with this impossibly good-looking cast), running parallel with the track of one of them suspected by authorities of having terrorist links.

It begins like this: Omar (Neil Nitin Mukesh) arrives in New York on a scholarship and bonds immediately with Maya (Katrina Kaif) and Sam (John Abraham). Two years of glorious friendship later, they separate and Omar moves to Philadelphia. The FBI, who is tracking Sam for terrorist links, finds the best way to get information would be to infiltrate Omar into Sam's alleged group. Then begins a semi-suspense track where we wonder who's right from wrong.

New York is brilliant in bits and parts. Kabir Khan (Kabul Express, 2006) furiously tries balancing grim reality about terror suspects wrongly detained (some jail torture shots are indeed effective) with candy-floss Bollywood sensibilities (characters looking younger than they did when the film starts seven years ago; and the melodramatic climax). The of course, there's the clich that Hindi films love – that of a Muslim FBI agent proving his integrity by going after the terrorist belonging to the same faith.

Among the pluses, the first half warms us to the cozy group – when they drink and Omar passes out, the way they play Rugby together, and how they hang out endlessly all over the city. Another huge plus is the humour, which is dark and delicious, popping up unexpectedly.

What doesn't work is the half- convincing characterization. We do wonder if a human rights activist would hide a terrorist's existence or whether an FBI officer (Roshan) would meet Omar openly in charming cafes to discuss their top-secret mission. Also cumbersome is the two American characters – Sam and Maya – constantly talking in Hindi with the dialogue explaining why (his dad is a cultural professor; her mom is a Hindi film fan).

The two scene stealers of New York are Neil Nitin Mukesh and Katrina Kaif. As the rosy-cheeked, strawberry-lipped new university recruit who gets embroiled in a situation he could never imagine, Neil Nitin is fantastic. Kaif renders her character beautifully till the end, where sadly, the character sketch itself becomes ambiguous. John Abraham plays a difficult character and surprises with his forceful performance. Irrfan Khan is disappointing, and for no fault of his. After all, he's done the steely interrogator with a touch of straight-faced humour (like in Slumdog Millionaire) too many times already. The actor who plays terror suspect Zirge is exceptional.

With a casting coup and fab technical support (the cinematography, sound design, songs, styling is super), New York is a fairly compelling watch.

Verdict: Three stars

[sify.com]

New York is a sham
Raja Sen

A scene from New York



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June 26, 2009 19:48 IST

I must confess I'm not overtly familiar with America's controversial Patriot Act, so I wonder if I'm going to get into trouble for declaring that I feel the need to trash New York.

The movie, I mean, not the city.

Director Kabir Khan's new film tries hard to make a point, loses it in a weak, seemingly unending plot executed by a group of pretty performers each competing for a Worst Actor Award, and finally ends by spelling the name of President Barack Obama [Images] as Barrack. And all this nonsense in a film exasperatingly infatuated with slow-motion, so that even the lousy climax takes a while to kick in.

Shall we talk of plot? Oh, let's not. Suffice it to say that this is a dreadfully weak rehash of Anurag Basu's gripping Gangster [Images], just set in Philadelphia with occasional shots of the NYC skyline to assure us that we're in the titular megacity. It could have been a slick enough potboiler, but somewhere the documentary filmmaker couldn't let go of his 'message,' and chose to clobber us over the head with it, Delhi 6 style.

The film begins innocuously enough, like a standard English potboiler of the television movie quality, demanding that we not take the American talent seriously, and ignore the fact that they smirk or grin whenever facing the camera. We are told about terrorism, the Patriot Act and one of the actors is detained, and from him spins out a flashback showing our three protagonists in college. The Hindi-English dialogue dips to unbearably cardboard levels, and the film remarkably manages to slide downhill from there.

A scene from New YorkKatrina Kaif [Images] is a ravishing woman -- arguably the very finest looker in the industry today -- but is at her best in the song montages, thrilled as she points to Broadway from the top of a bus or chatters about something as she climbs a tree... basically any non-speaking part. And it is a star such as she who is weighed down by unweildy dialogue, dialogue dripping with drama. It's so goshdarned unfair when all we'd rather do is stare.

Neil Nitin Mukesh is a Hrithik-rivalling pretty boy who got raves for his look (as opposed to his work) in Johnny Gaddaar, and rivals Kats when it comes to mouthing words. It doesn't appear to be a coincidence that this film too, just like Johnny, requires his character to pretend to be someone else, thus masking the bad acting as signs of character nervousness, not his own. It would appear, seeing the man fumble the simplest of scenes, that this is something to aid the actor, not the character.

And then there's John Abraham [Images], who clearly likes watching movies. This is an actor growing in confidence and one who clearly enjoys signing on roles he's convinced are 'unconventional,' but emerging confidence isn't necessarily a good thing.

A scene from New YorkFor some reason, the actor's also picked up the Pensive expression straight out of Aamir Khan's [Images] book, and it's distinctly unnerving to see the tall and athletic John mope around with an Aamir face. John saunters through this movie constantly preening, checking his reflection in the glass during what tries to be a high-intensity climax and ends up looking like a practice round for Fear Factor [Images]. (And Yana Gupta [Images] did it better on the TV show, for the record.)

Also walking around, looking utterly disinterested in the proceedings is Irrfan Khan [Images], a true actor doing what better be a strong paycheck role. He's made to play a tough cop who asks a lot of questions, wonder where we saw that before.

New York could still have been a tolerable film if the actors were the only problem -- but the fact is that they are the ones who try valiantly, and are utterly let down by Sandeep Srivastava's shoddy screenplay. It starts like an unnecessary B-movie, goes into standard Hindi college cliche, and -- following a series of torture scenes that seem gratituous in context with the rest of the film -- degenerated into utter, unforgivable potboiler tripe. And it all features lots and lots of slow motion. Groan.

Maybe Kabir Khan decided that torturing the audience was a method to get them to relate to the condition of illegally detained racially profiled Asians after 9/11... or maybe he thought that a public service advertisement's worth of statistics could actually be stretched into a full-length movie. Either way, this New York is doomed.

1/5

REVIEW: John-Katrina's New York
Director Kabir Khan's latest is a film with a heart
By Abhishek Mande . Buzz18 Jun 26, 2009
Comments [ 0 ] E-mail
REVIEW: John-Katrina's New York
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When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know, none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge – they were all messages of love.

Watching New York took me to this opening line from the British romantic comedy Love Actually. What they say about the messages probably also holds true of the films made around the 9/11 tragedy. They have all been films about love and compassion.

Kabir Khan's New York is no different. It may have come over eight years after the two Towers crumbled. But despite this delay the film manages to convey the one thing that many of us seem to forget – that nothing can ever be the same again.

Sameer (John Abraham), Maya (Katrina Kaif) and Omar (Neil Nitin Mukesh) are close friends studying together at the New York State University. Maya who loves Sameer is unaware of the feelings Omar harbours for her. When she does realise this, it is too late. The Towers have fallen and Omar has decided to move out of their lives.

Years later, Omar is forced to return to them when he is falsely implicated in an arms case. Roshan (Irrfan Khan) strikes a deal with him and gets him to spy on Sameer, a suspected terrorist.
After settling into their house, Omar hints at taking the extreme step hoping that something might trigger a reaction from Sameer. Finally, when he does Sameer asks him to leave.

Glad that he'd proven the FBI wrong, Omar is ready to pack his bags when he sees a side of his best friend he hadn't seen before.

Thematically, New York is closer to Khuda Kay Liye, the Pakistani film that dealt with the torture terror suspects had to undergo in the US. However the similarity between the two movies ends there.

In fact, it wouldn't be entirely incorrect to say New York takes the story forward... only in a much slicker fashion, packaged in a glamorous Bollywood box, complete with songs and a love triangle.

Indeed, Kabir Khan has a good story to tell and narrates it quite effectively. However, he often resorts to clichs especially in cinematography and the plot.

Having said that, New York is a very visually appealing film. It is urbane and exploits the acting talents of its three lead stars. Katrina Kaif for one seems comfortable speaking Hindi they way she does in real life. John Abraham, if you excuse him a few scenes, does a fairly good job as does Neil Nitin Mukesh. Irrfan Khan is an accomplished actor and little needs to be said of him.

Music by Pritam is nice and breezy but Julius Packiam deserves a round of applause for the background score that gels beautifully with the tone of the film and its narrative.

At over two and a half hours, Sameer and Omar's account of love, revenge and betrayal tends to flag a bit. New York is a fairly long movie for its genre and it could have been edited to pack it into a fast-paced action drama.

I would not go to the extent of saying that this is an exceptionally brilliant film. But as someone who knows something about Bollywood films and entertainment in India, I can say New York is a film with a heart. It is a film that gives us hope and reminds us that there is always a room for a little bit of forgiveness, compassion and love. Just for telling us that, I'd say you watch New York this Friday.

Verdict: If you don't mind the duration, go watch it.

Rating: 3/5

Review: New York is a compelling watch
Movie
New York
Director
Kabir Khan
Cast
John Abraham, Katrina Kaif, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Irrfan Khan

Sonia Chopra

We're all fascinated with terrorists – what makes them bomb up innocent people; do they have a backstory that prods them onto a destructive path; do they feel remorse and so on. Films too find terrorists a wonderful subject and go on to explore their lives – but it's such a complex, sensitive issue; one wonders if it's outside the scope of a mainstream film.

Anyway, what you have here is a nice, love triangle (a given with this impossibly good-looking cast), running parallel with the track of one of them suspected by authorities of having terrorist links.

It begins like this: Omar (Neil Nitin Mukesh) arrives in New York on a scholarship and bonds immediately with Maya (Katrina Kaif) and Sam (John Abraham). Two years of glorious friendship later, they separate and Omar moves to Philadelphia. The FBI, who is tracking Sam for terrorist links, finds the best way to get information would be to infiltrate Omar into Sam's alleged group. Then begins a semi-suspense track where we wonder who's right from wrong.

New York is brilliant in bits and parts. Kabir Khan (Kabul Express, 2006) furiously tries balancing grim reality about terror suspects wrongly detained (some jail torture shots are indeed effective) with candy-floss Bollywood sensibilities (characters looking younger than they did when the film starts seven years ago; and the melodramatic climax). The of course, there's the clich that Hindi films love – that of a Muslim FBI agent proving his integrity by going after the terrorist belonging to the same faith.

Among the pluses, the first half warms us to the cozy group – when they drink and Omar passes out, the way they play Rugby together, and how they hang out endlessly all over the city. Another huge plus is the humour, which is dark and delicious, popping up unexpectedly.

What doesn't work is the half- convincing characterization. We do wonder if a human rights activist would hide a terrorist's existence or whether an FBI officer (Roshan) would meet Omar openly in charming cafes to discuss their top-secret mission. Also cumbersome is the two American characters – Sam and Maya – constantly talking in Hindi with the dialogue explaining why (his dad is a cultural professor; her mom is a Hindi film fan).

The two scene stealers of New York are Neil Nitin Mukesh and Katrina Kaif. As the rosy-cheeked, strawberry-lipped new university recruit who gets embroiled in a situation he could never imagine, Neil Nitin is fantastic. Kaif renders her character beautifully till the end, where sadly, the character sketch itself becomes ambiguous. John Abraham plays a difficult character and surprises with his forceful performance. Irrfan Khan is disappointing, and for no fault of his. After all, he's done the steely interrogator with a touch of straight-faced humour (like in Slumdog Millionaire) too many times already. The actor who plays terror suspect Zirge is exceptional.

With a casting coup and fab technical support (the cinematography, sound design, songs, styling is super), New York is a fairly compelling watch.

wow...over all reviews are reallly good...im sooo happy...john - kat and neil have been appreciated soo much...they really needed this...

the best one is by taran n he gives the most authentic reviews..if he has given the movie 4 stars n has praised the stars soo much then they really deserve it..i was actually waiting for his review ...n now since he has appreciated the acting n the movie soo much so now i'll definately watch it...