Movie Review: Bend It Like Beckham

Bend It Like Beckham

I've heard so many good things about Bend It Like Beckham for so long that I was delighted to finally find the video available at my local rental store. Maybe I expected too much - like I said, I've been hearing about the film virtually since it was released in 2002 - but I didn't think it lived up to its hype.

Bend It Like Beckham (the title refers to England's most famous soccer player and his uncanny ability to "bend" the path of balls) is the story of an Indian girl (Jesminder Bhamra, played by Parminder K. Nagra) with an extraordinary talent for playing soccer. While in many families such a gift might be supported and nurtured, Jess' traditional Sikh parents (Anupam Kher and Shaheen Khan) are more than a little displeased with their daughter. As the family prepares for the wedding of the elder Bhamra sister, Pinky (Archie Panjabi), Jess' mother becomes more and more insistent that she stop kicking a soccer ball around and learn to cook traditional Indian foods and otherwise behave as a traditional Indian woman.

But Jess can't give up her greatest love, and when she's seen playing in the park by Juliette Paxton (Keira Knightley) and subsequently given the opportunity to play on a competitive women's soccer team, she's unable to resist. Still, even with help from her sister and her longtime friend, Tony (Ameet Chana), Jess finds it more and more difficult to lie to her parents. And then, as if her soccer playing isn't enough to send her folks around the bend, she starts to fall for her Irish soccer coach, Joe (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers). Jess' ongoing subterfuges result in many misunderstandings ranging from Indian neighbors who swear they saw her behaving unacceptably to the mother of a team member wondering about her daughter's relationship with Jess. Predictably, Jess finds herself defending not only her love for soccer but virtually everything else she does no matter now innocent.

I'm not sure if the storyline is so interesting because it's a well crafted story, or because it brings us inside a world of Indian tradition most of us know little if anything about. Regardless, the story is interesting albeit predictable more often than not. Parminder K. Nagra is an exquisitely beautiful girl who possesses what I think is an extraordinary voice and some very real acting talent as well (you've probably seen her yourself - she's now a regularly appearing character on television's ER), and she's good in this movie. Keira Knightley's acting is over the top on numerous occasions, but you can see flashes of what eventually got her hired as the female lead in Pirates of the Caribbean. (One possible explanation for the discrepancy between the two is that Knightley was only about 15 when Bend It Like Beckham was filmed, and Nagra - though looking very young - was actually in her late twenties at the time). Jonathan Rhys-Meyers is only okay. It's mostly the numerous Indian actors, including the pair playing Jess' parents, that deserve to be singled out for their onscreen presence.

Bend It Like Beckham may not have lived up to the praise I've been hearing, but it's okay and I enjoyed it to an extent. I'll even recommend it for a cold Saturday evening's rental. But if you're expecting a real comedy (it's billed as a comedy/drama movie), it's not all that funny. And if you're expecting a real drama, the script's predictability will make the fiilm fall short of your expectations.

FAMILY SUITABILITY: Bend It Like Beckham is rated PG-13. Personally, I think a PG rating would have been acceptable, and I wouldn't have a problem letting those of about 10 and up see the movie. One notable caveat, however, is the fact that the movie was filmed in England with British actors, and many of the accents are quite strong making quickly spoken lines difficult sometimes to understand. British slang, too, might cause comprehension problems for many, especially kids. But the film's general story of growing up, developing whatever talents you've been given, and how parents and children must see responsibility and respect go both ways in their relationship, give Bend It Like Beckham added value for family viewing.