New York - Movie Review
Published: June 26, 2009
By JENNIFER HOPFINGER
Starring John Abraham, Katrina Kaif, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Irrfan Khan
Who knew John Abraham had it in him? The Bollywood hunk, who has long been dismissed as eye candy, delivers an astonishingly strong performance in New York. His character, Sam, who’s as American as apple pie, goes through wrenching experiences after 9/11 because he’s Muslim, and Abraham more than meets the demands of the role.
The story begins before that fateful day, though—before Sam’s life, and the whole world with it, got turned upside-down. The director, Kabir Khan, conjures up lost innocence by opening the film on a verdant college campus, where his characters are bright-eyed, carefree, and full of promise. The story is told from the point of view of Omar (Neil Nitin Mukesh), a shy student from Delhi. Maya (Katrina Kaif), an outgoing Indian student born and raised in the U.S., takes Omar under her wing, and introduces him to Sam, a swaggering athlete and the most popular guy in school. The three become fast friends, and Omar blossoms in the company of his cool pals. Omar starts to fall in love with Maya and she starts to fall in love with Sam, and then the World Trade Center comes down, and the trio breaks apart.
Seven years later, Omar gets pinched by the Feds when guns are found in the trunk of his taxicab, but it’s all a setup. Roshan (Irrfan Khan), a Muslim FBI agent who uses any means necessary to catch terrorists, forces Omar to reconnect with Sam, whom the FBI believes is a terrorist, to spy on him. Sam is now married to Maya and living in the idyllic suburbs, and Omar believes the Feds are trying to frame Sam, too.
Mukesh’s portrayal of Omar—who’s scared out of his wits and trying desperately to save his own hide as well as Sam’s—is gripping. Kaif gives a competent performance, despite the limitations of her rather underdeveloped character. And Khan is impressive as usual.
The plot is not without flaws, and the climax could have been better finessed, but the film is an intelligent, balanced, and riveting story of friendship and betrayal, persecution and patriotism, told from the perspective of an American religious minority.
New York is rated Must See.
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