New York, I Love You

New York, I Love You (2009)

Typical is one thing New York, I Love You is not. Released in 2009, New York, I Love You captures the diversity in defining love throughout the city that never sleeps. This movie is a part of a series of sequels called the Cities of Love, founded and launched by the same producer Emmanuel Benbihy who is known in feature-length film producing. In general, the authenticity of this franchise is that each movie consists of a number of directors' work from around the globe compiling their idea of the theme and incorporating it into a movie. Thus, this movie should be interesting and new for viewers to experience.

Natalie Portman as Rifka Malone

Personally, I think Mira Nair's contribution to the movie has to be highlighted. The segment she directed featuring Natalie Portman and Irrfan Khan truly captured my attention as a viewer and a reviewer. I was utterly in awe as I felt entertained justifying Rifka Malone's (Natalie Portman) relationship with Mansuhk-bai, (Irrfan Khan) an Indian diamond merchant. In addition, Nair's idea of forging intercultural relationships in her segment was bold, mainly because the two cultures highlighted was not a typical match in the silver screen.

Shekhar Kapur's segment also got my attention out of the many short films in New York, I Love You. Kapur's segment portrayed a deeper definition to love. Featuring Julie Christie, Shia LeBouf and John Hurt, this part of the movie was moving and truly, properly artistic. Kapur's segment accentuates on how viewers perceive and label the kind of love portrayed.

One of Shekhar Kapur's memorable scenes featuring Julie Christie and Shia LeBouf

Watching New York, I Love You felt like a bargain in its own nature. First off, the cast. I can not remember the last time names such as Bradley Cooper, Andy Garcia, Shia LeBouf, Natalie Portman and many other talents assembled in a single movie. Seeing these names together would excite any movie go-er as the final product was expected to 'wow' viewers. Next, the fact that this movie was put together with ten short films, each one directed by different directors. In frank, it can get really confusing halfway through the movie as the segments only have the theme in common. Moreover, viewers might also experience a hint of dullness as some bits in the movie are unnecessarily draggy. All in all, New York, I Love You was an achievement that could be polished and should not be under-rated.