A film like New York with its intense subject matter and controversial backdrop is always at high risk of becoming a documentary. With expectations riding high, is New York a storyteller, or a story show?
Director Kabir Khan has definitely turned the tables with this venture. The film is gripping, enticing, entertaining and most importantly - believable. Not once does Kabir Khan venture into the filmi, sensationalised method of doing things nor does he play up the music to breaking point. He uses his settings and his cinematography tell the story whilst the characters and dialogues simply drizzle over this treat.
the film does come with its minusses. The pace gets very slow by the last act and the songs - apart from Hai Junoon and Mere Sang - are lacklustre. Cinematography, screenplay, stylish, art direction - is all crisp and top-notch.
John Abraham is a complete revelation. Known as your average, good-looking, expressionless piece of eye-candy, Abraham drops all goods to come up with a hair-raising act, particularly in the torture scene. Niel Nitin Mukesh delivers his best performance thus far. Yes he becomes a little wooden at times, but you can redeem him for that as he works tremendously. The real surprise though is Katrina. She simply melts into the folds of her characters and delivers and believable, natural performance. Still, the actress has a long way to go to be at par with all the other actresses. The scene-stealer is Irrfan Khan. A complete natural, not once does he allow the audience to believe he's acting. When he's on screen, he's FBI Agent Roshan - not Irrfan Khan.
