Kick It Like Beckham

`Bend It Like Beckam' is a heartwarming charmer about a young girl's search for identity in 21st Century England. Like `Fiddler on the Roof,' `Beckam' deals with the painful struggles tradition-bound cultures must go through as they enter a looser, more freedom-loving modern world. The culture in this case is that of immigrant and first-generation Indians living in Great Britain. As with all such tales, it is the young folk who feel the need to pull away from the stuffy values of the past, and who end up dragging the reluctant older folk kicking and screaming into the future right along with them.

Jess Bharma is a fairly typical teen with dreams of becoming a world-class soccer player. However, Jess also comes from a very traditional Indian family that believes a girl should not play around with boys, show her legs in public, or aspire to much beyond marrying a good Indian boy and raising a family. We've seen this kind of set-up countless times before and `Bend It Like Beckam' will certainly not win any prizes for creativity or originality. It does, however, have a youthful exuberance and a generous spirit that can't help but captivate even the most diehard, coldhearted cynic. Parminder K. Nagra is utterly winning as young Jess, capturing all the innate optimism and unquenchable enthusiasm of this irrepressible character. She receives superb support from a cast of outstanding actors, both young and old, including Keira Knightley as Jules, her inspirational buddy who provides Jess with the opportunity to bring her dreams to fruition; Jonathan Rhys-Meyers as Joe, the handsome young coach who provides lessons in love along with lessons in soccer; Anupam Kher as Jess' father, who turns out to have some of his own personal demons to deal with; Shaheen Khan as Jess' mother, who doesn't understand why her daughter can't be content with the pre-ordained life her parents have laid out for her; and Juliet Stevenson as Jules' mother, who proves that Indians don't hold a patent on tradition-obsessed parents. In its quiet, gentle way, the film also confronts the issue of racism, particularly in terms of how the Indians are often still treated as second-class citizens in British society.

As directed by Gurinder Chadha, `Bend It Like Beckham' is a light-on-its-feet `feel-good' film that never takes itself too seriously. The movie suffers a bit from a sitcom mentality, as when, for instance, Jules' parents labor under the illusion that their daughter and Jess are actually lesbian lovers. The plotting, in addition to being predictable at times, often seems contrived and excessively melodramatic (the rivalry between Jess and Jules over Joe being the primary offender). But this isn't enough to do any serious damage to the film as a whole.

Thus, if you're looking for a film that is easygoing, uplifting and comfortably old-fashioned in its demeanor and theme, `Bend It Like Beckham' is for you.

The title of this film nearly put me off watching it. Not being a Manchester United fan, the mere mention of Beckham was a bit off putting, however I put my prejudices behind me and I'm glad I did.

I wasn't expecting much of a film, but I was pleasantly surprised. The film sped along with me never looking at my watch and I enjoyed every second of the film. If you liked East is East then you'll love this film. OK so the storyline is nothing new, and the classic storylines are contained within the film but it's all done very funnily, and with a breath of fresh air. The film moves very fast and keeps the audiance entertained. The occaisional funny moments are a good chuckle and not some poor attempt at humour, and best of all it's a good british comedy.

Thoroughly enjoyable film about a Sikh girl wanting to be a footballer. Highly unlikely in real life but you want her to be victorious and the film is put together very well to hold your attention. Whilst the football element isn't worth very much, the film is well worth watching

Jess is 18, very smart and wants nothing more than to play football, when she joins a local team she has to lie to her parents again and again, as they would never approve of her chasing her dream, they want her to settle down with a nice Indian boy and learn how to cook.

Bend it Like Beckham is a very funny feel good movie that doesn't need to be deep and complex, it's just fine as it is. The cast are all very good and they play their roles very well, the story is simple and predictable, but it works perfectly and the script is very realistic and very funny.

A great Family movie 8/10

Eight? Eight for a predictable sports-based movie where the lead overcomes every obstacle thrown at her and triumphs at the end just like every other sports-based movie? Have I gone mad? Well, no actually because although "Bend It Like Beckham" is as original as a boy-band cover version, it is still a surprisingly enjoyable film which somehow manages to avoid becoming another chick-flick cliché. A solid cast add to the mix but while there are plenty of goals, there are still one or two holes at the back which threaten the side. Incidentally, whenever I talk about football, I refer to soccer in case any US readers get confused.

Parminder "ER" Nagra plays Jess, a rebellious daughter in a strict Indian family living in London. Obsessed with football star David Beckham and possessing more skills on the pitch than she realises, she is spotted by another female footballer Jules (a very young-looking Keira Knightly) who persuades her to try out for a local football team, the Hounslow Harriers. Keeping her place in the side a secret from her family, she struggles with the gaping chasm in culture as well as her feeling for her coach Joe (Jonathan Rhys Meyers). As her sister's wedding day approaches and the resentment from his disapproving parents (Anupam Kher and Shaheen Khan) grows, can she develop her skills further and secure her dream of playing professionally in the US?

Like I said, there is nothing shocking and surprising about the screenplay which manages to throw in every conceivable barrier for our hero to overcome. And despite the creaking plot, the story is enlivened by quality performances throughout. Nagra and Knightley are fantastic but Meyers lets the side down a bit. There is also a surprising amount of humour which is genuinely amusing, particularly from Knightley's mother (Juliet Stevenson) who worries excessively that her daughter is a closet lesbian. The clash of cultures does offer a unique perspective as far as sports movies go but it isn't much to offer the casual movie fan.

But that's the thing with sports movies - no matter how impossible victory looks or how many obstacles you put in front of the hero, you still watch them to see the hero overcome it all and bask in the glory they richly deserve. You already know how the movie will end but that doesn't stop you enjoying it - a philosophy that surely led to Sylvester Stallone making "Rocky Balboa" recently. The fact that the hero in "Bend It Like Beckham" is a cute Indian girl instead of a sixty-year-old meat head means that this is not your typical sports movie. Instead of guts and sweat, it has heart and brains and it's that which gives this film its rating. See, I haven't gone mad...