New York Review

After all the PR and hype surrounding New York, one goes to the theatre expecting a letdown. But shockingly, he isn't. New York has truly lived up to its hype. Watching the movie first-day first-show is a delight for any movie lover and the whole theatre was loving this movie - from the hoots when Katrina made her entrance to claps at climax scenes, this movie is a crowd pleaser and an award-winner. New York is a film about Omar (Neil Nitin Mukesh) , a clueless Indian Muslim whohas come to New York to study. He befriends Maya (Katrina Kaif) and Sameer (John Abraham) and the three of them forge a special bond, which is shattered by the events of one night. Years later, Omar returns to into their lives in brand-new and shocking circumstances. From there the movie twists and turns with great unpredictability, always leaving the viewer at the edge of his/her seat. The second half leaves you reeling with its stark scenes and profound concepts that are seamlessly woven into dialogues. Nothing is redundant in the film, even the wry humour is never slapstick or misplaced. The climax is unpredictable but becomes a little melodramatic. Most ladies left the audience with a handkerchief to their faces. Neil is fabulous and seamlessly transitions from the scared, young graduate to a brave man who's been sucked into an issue far beyond his understanding. John Abraham is good, but doesn't live up to the character that he has been cast as. Katrina's role, although minor, has done justice up to her capacity and this might just be her big break into serious cinema. Irffan Khan as the stone-cold FBI cop is perfect – he adds the right amount of drama and menace with a touch of wry humour to make his character endearing and fearful. Kabir Khan has done a fine job of casting fresh young actors which has saved the film from becoming a melodramatic Bollywood saga. His direction is a breath of fresh air but sometimes slips into the Bollywood cliche. The cinematography is especially good and deserves special mention. The music is decent but aptly placed thus never redundant. On the whole, this film has brought to the silver screen a topic that is usually reserved for documentaries. And it has done so with an elan that will please the masses. Watch it.