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Bend It Like Beckham (Widescreen Edition) Customer Reviews (19 - 21 of 60 Reviews)

"I'm Irish. Of COURSE I know what it feels like."
I almost missed seeing this wonderful little film on the big screen; I caught the last showing of the last day in our local art-house theater. I can't believe I almost robbed myself of the pleasure of seeing "Bend it Like Beckham", quite honestly my favorite movie to come out this year so far. It has action, romance, comedy, drama, lots of color and music and in the end a great message about acceptance and following your dreams. What more could you want?

Parminder Nagra stars as Jess, a Londoner of Indian descent who has loved playing soccer (or football, to the rest of the world) all her life. She lives and breathes her sport, so much so that every night she tells all her hopes and dreams to a giant poster of British soccer phenom David Beckham that hangs above her bead. Her parents, though, are less than approving, and when Jess uncovers a female soccer team that is willing to let her play in "real matches" she must weigh fulfilling her dreams against tearing her family apart. There is also the matter of her gorgeous Irish coach (Jonathan Rhys-Myers) and her new best friend (Keira Knightly); two girls and one cute guy can sometimes cause problems.

The script is more deeply layered than you might expect; I especially liked the interaction between Jess and her parents. Jess' mom is horrified by her daughter's passion because she feels nice Indian girls should be thinking of marriage and not "running around half naked in front of men", but her father for a subtler reason; he still remembers when he came to England and was not allowed to play cricket because of his race. He cannot bear the idea of sport breaking Jess' heart too.

The supporting cast is uniformly great; with standouts being Juliet Stevenson as the mother of Jess' new friend ("There is a reason Sporty Spice is the only one without a boyfriend!") and Jonathan Rhys-Myers as the coach. Rhys-Myers, in fact, spends what screen time he has looking incredibly sexy and practically daring the audience to call him on his Irish accent. Everyone else plays their roles to perfection and a good time is had by all, including the audience. Highly recommended!

GRADE: A-

And this movie is .............. YES, GOAL!
Another intercultural drama comes from the UK, so I automatically figured it was going to be a winner,... and I was right. Like many non-European cultures, the Sikhs expect their daughters to learn how to cook, marry nice Sikh men and raise lots of little Sikhs. Obedience and respect of elders is expected. Pinkie, Jessminder's older sister, is following the family tradition by getting engaged to have a big fat Sikh wedding--sorry, I couldn't resist, but the football-minded Jess is torn between trying to please her family's wishes and her own desires. She often spends her time playing football with some male friends of hers at a park. In fact, her bedroom wall is covered with pictures of David Beckham, who as most people probably know is the captain of Manchester United and the husband of Victoria, a.k.a. Posh Spice. Score, 1-0.

One day, a white girl, Jules, short for Juliette, sees Jess playing and tells her about the Hounslow Harriers, an all-girl's football team headed by John. He is impressed with her playing and not only wants her on the team, but is very supportive of her, while at the same time being the disciplinary but fair coach. He also hopes to make the team impressive enough for an American scout to come recruiting. Result, Jess continues playing with the team, with Jules and Pinkie covering for her. The problem for Jess is her parents finding out. Her passions could disrupt Pinkie's wedding if her prospective inlaws find out anything unconventional about the family. Also, Jess's father played for the cricket team and encountered prejudice because of his race and just accepted life. He feels that Jess's life will end the same way, in disappointment. Jess's mother is more vehement than her husband, even praying to a wall portrait of an ancestor. Score 2-0.

Jules's mother, traditional in a different way, has trouble connecting with her football-loving daughter. She is fretting because Jules doesn't like to go shopping with her. At one point, she says to look at Sporty Spice and see why she doesn't have a beau. Jules's father is different. He encourages his daughter's passion, giving her emotional support by helping her practice. What both mothers have in common is that they are out of touch with their daughters and believe in traditional roles. There's a funny scene when Jules's mother thinks her daughter and Jess are lesbians. Score 3-0.

The soundtrack is a motley collection of disco hits, contemporary techno, and the most exotic of all, bhangra music, i.e. Punjabi dance music. There's even a Punjabi-language of Jennifer Rush's "Power Of Love" that comes on. The entire cast is marvelous, especially Parminder Nagra as Jess, and Jonathan Rhys-Myers as John. When she's happy or sad, she is believable and someone one can cheer for or wish things could be better. And Juliet Stephenson, whom I first saw in The Politician's Wife opposite Minnie Driver and Trevor Eve, does a wonderful turn as Jules's befuddled mother. Also, the black footballer, Mel, is played by Shaznay Lewis, formerly with the All Saints. Score 4-0.

As for the title, it comes from a conversation Jess has with Tony, one of her male football mates and the one who turns out to be the most supportive, who says "why try to cook when you can bend it like Beckham." In other words, we all have our own gifts and passions, and it's the most fulfilling to channel our lives towards that shining path. And maybe in a more diverse world, it is possible for the younger generation to succeed where their parents didn't. Final score, 5-0.

Amusing but formulaic movie about following your dreams.
Gurinder Chadha, director of "Bend It Like Beckham," has struck the same chord in audiences that made "Big Fat Greek Wedding" such a smash hit. She describes the clash of cultures that may prevent a British teenager of Indian descent from following her dream of becoming a soccer star. Jesminder Bhamra, known as Jess, worships the British soccer phenom, David Beckham. Jess herself is a natural athlete who has all the right moves and great athletic potential. However, she also has two traditional Sikh parents who want her to marry and attend university. Jess's parents are horrified when they discover that their daughter is sneaking out behind their backs to play soccer.

"Bend It Like Beckham" succeeds mainly because of the charming and ebullient performances of its two young stars, Parminder K. Nagra as Jess and Keira Knightley, as Juliette, a beautiful blonde who recruits Jess to play on a woman's soccer team. The supporting performances are all fine, with special kudos going to Anupam Kher and Shaheen Khan as Jess's parents.

The plot is a takeoff on the Rocky formula. Can Jess buck her traditional parents and the expectations of what is proper to become a professional soccer player? Will her ambition bring scandal to her family and put a monkey wrench into her sister's wedding plans? All of this is played with a light comic touch that is pleasant and entertaining. See "Bend It Like Beckham" and bring your teenaged daughter. Both of you will enjoy it enormously.

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