Rating: 
Summary: Great fun!
Review: I am not a soccer fan. That said, this movie could turn anyone into a soccer fan. Good-natured and downright hilarious, this look at a young woman trying to break free of traditional east Indian values to indulge her love of and exceptional gift for the game is terrific entertainment. Parminder K. Nagra as heroine Jess is lovely--vulnerable, yet feisty. Jonathan Rhys-Meyers as coach Joe is not only good in his role, he's one of the most photogenic young men to grace the screen in recent times. (Watch out for this young man! He's got real star quality.) Keira Knightley as team-mate soccer-player Jules is delightful, as is Frank Harper playing her dad. The one jarring note in the casting is Juliet Stephenson (of Truly, Madly, Deeply) who is out of her depths and not entirely credible as the lower-class saleswoman mother of Jules. Otherwise, this is a laugh-a-thon. Don't miss the credits! They're the perfect grace note to a wonderfully enjoyable film.
Highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: Get Bend
Review: While we in the United States like to think of ourselves as the movie moguls of the world, in reality, we are a close second to India, a country fascinated by its own television and films. For a long time now, Indian films have been unavailable in the United States, and for the most part, this still holds true. 'Bend it like Beckham' isn't really an example of the Indian invasion the way Monsoon Wedding was. 'Beckham' was made in England, produced in England, and is spoken in English; however, it has a very non-English tone. Ms. Chadha has taken some of her Indian heritage and culture, and has soulfully mixed it with the incredibly overdone sports/romantic comedy cross sell. The result is a movie about soccer (football),... or rather, football (soccer). Not entirely true, it is also a movie about stereotypes, and how stereotypical our stereotype analogies have become. In many ways, stereotypes are boring now. Thankfully, 'Bend it like Beckham' handles some of the more expected heresies with light hearted humor and essentially good-spirited characters that just need to 'get with the times'.Parmindar Nagra plays Jess, the daughter of Sikh parents. Jess feels she can do nothing but dodge all her parents wishes and upbringing and become a soccer player. She becomes friends with lesbo look alike Juliette and falls in love with her Irish coach Joe. As complications arise, Jess must learn to value her parents values, while her parents, in turn, must learn to value hers. Needless to say, the potential romance with a white boy and potential lesbianism with a white girl all add to the situational comedy. There isn't really any new material here, save for the soccer and Indian costuming of the lead characters, but, there is a distinct freshness about the method. Chadha has breathed - not new life - but fun, into an old genre. Only the most jaded viewer will have difficulty enjoying this soccer/Rocky/Monsoon Wedding mish-mash. And if they don't enjoy it, they will at least seen an early glimpse of Parmindar Nagra, who can not only bend it like beckham, but whose down to earth beauty and carefully non-stylized acting puts her in the running for actresses to look out for. Also, as multiculturalism grows and ferrets out the still greater challenges ahead against it, it is nice to see the outakes of such an amazingly multicultural production in Beckham's closing credits. Some truly diverse talents have come together to make a truly diverse, fun, and funny film.
Rating:
Summary: Well worth the drive
Review: I saw this movie for the first time on a British Airways 747 on my way home from Heathrow to Dulles. I was completely bored, and cramped, in a tiny coach seat in the middle of the plane, and was quite dissappointed to notice Lord of the Rings was not on the lineup (in summer '02) as it had been on my way in, six weeks earlier. Disheartened, I flipped channels and picked the only comedy that wasn't a children's flick. This happened to be Bend it Like Beckham, which I new nothing about, but immediantly the characters drew me in. I was in to the film from the beginning, though I knew nothing about Indians in London, and had a limited understanding of soccer. Nevertheless I was fascinated by the terrific acting, and an enjoyable and not always predictable plot. I've always enjoyed film depictions of females making their way in any sport, and the fact that the main character, Jess, is Indian adds terrific flavor and purpose to the film. Nearly a year after watching the movie three times strait on the plane ride home, I went out of my way to drive to a city where it was playing, and it was well worth it once more. I still laughed most the way through, and never regretted the effort I had put into driving to see it again. I love to watch international films, because sometimes the regular fare can get a little predictable. If you like to laugh, and are looking for a completely new way of telling and looking at a story you may think you have heard before, this is for you. I could even believe the way things happened, it didn't seem as far-fetched or contrived as some movies of similar turn often do. I'm sure I will add it to my DVD case as soon as it is out. Don't miss it.
Rating:
Summary: Amusing but formulaic movie about following your dreams.
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Spectacular!! Much More Than a Comedy or Sports Story
Review: This is a terrific movie! It is well written, the cast is superb, and the direction provides just the appropriate touch. The story incorporates comedy, romance and individual achievement with sports and cultural differences as the issues which provide the dramatic cohesiveness. It is the universality of athletic endeavor that both inspires the main characters and can resonate with the audience and what differentiates this from the themes of such superficially similiar films as MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING. We actually had hoped to view BECKHAM last summer after reading an entusiastic review during a brief stopover in South Africa, but the theater was sold out. Thus, we were very glad to see that it is now being shown here, and determined to see it immmediately although it is still in limited release. Parminder Nagra is perfectly cast as Jessminder Bhamua (Jess), who lives in England with her parents who have immigrated from India. She loves soccer (Beckham is an English soccer star instantly recognizable in that country and Jess' idol) but her parents do not view participation in the sport as appropriate for young women. They believe that she should either attend university or get married; her older sister's proposed marriage is an integral element of the plot. In addition, they believe that she has no future in sports, both because of her gender and discrinination due to her Indian heritage. Juliette (Keira Knightley) sees Jess playing a pickup game in the park with some boys and convinces her to try out for the girls team on which she plays. The coach Joe (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers) is skeptical until he sees Jess' skills; Jess joins the team and soon bonds with Jules (Juliette), whose mother is both appalled and clueless concerning the sport and her daughter's love for it. For this review to do justice to the incredible number of subplots would make it almost as long as the movie script itself, however they add both depth and many comedic moments. One of the most important involves the attraction of both Jess and Jules to Joe, who is coaching girl's soccer after blowing out his knee while trying to live up to his domineering father's expectations for him as a player. Another crucial to the outcome involves the discrimination experienced by Jess' father, a star athlete in Africa, after arriving in England. The social commentary is rampant, and the conflicts which Jess faces seem impossible for her to resolve at times, thus making universal the experiences of people everywhere (especially teenagers) faced with difficult choices between aspirations for the future and connections to the past and present. The actors are universally good, all the family members are integral to the story and their performances add immeasurably to the viewer's enjoyment. The cinematography is also first rate; the sports sequences are excellent; however, the colorful scenes of the traditional Indian wedding ceremony are the most memorable. This is an inspiring story, and hopefully it will emerge into broad distribution here as it did in England last year. (Of course, they know who Beckham is.) You will leave the theater feeling good about Jess and the potential of the the human spirit. If you want more information, there are two other recent reviews that I highly reccomend for their insights. Joe Haschka on April 4th and rmurray84 on April 14th.
Rating:
Summary: One of my favorite movies
Review: This movie stole my heart. Being a first generation Indian girl in America I expereinced many of the same issues Jasimndra goes through. No doubt I'm buying this movie as soon as it comes out on dvd and sending a copy to my parents, FED EX OVERNITE!! For any first generation person man or women from any country, you will relate to this movie. Gurinder Chadha has made an excellent movie that addresses many societal and cultural issues with comedy and with the knowledge of the struggles of minorities in America and Europe. I cried the entire last ten minutes out of happiness, hope and anxiety over my own family.
Rating:
Summary: Hooray for BOLLYWOOD!
Review: Please don't compare this to Big Fat Greek Whatever (hated it!), that doesn't do it justice! Granted, I see many similarities between this film and Monsoon Wedding; the ability of the families to poke fun at themselves, the comraderie, awesome music (many cultures represented here) the colors, the presentation of proud traditions... Like Monsoon Wedding, I absolutely loved this movie--I felt so moved and uplifted by both films at the end. Chadha and Nair, go ladies go! More, more!!
Rating:
Summary: Bend it like who??????
Review: There was much debate over the title for "Bend it Like Beckham." It was deemed too unappealing and was thought the title would hurt the film's box-office performance, despite its tremendous overseas success. But the title is like the movie itself--smart, original, and unique. It refers to English soccer superstar David Beckham and his ability to curve a ball straight past the goalie. He's a hero to Jess (Parminder Nagra), an Indian girl residing with her traditional, hard-headed family in England. Jess is torn between being a dutiful younger daughter and her overwhelming passion for soccer. When Jules (Keira Knightley) spots her playing with a group of local boys and is awed by Jess' talent, she invites the Indian girl to play for her team, coached by a charismatic young Irishman named Joe (Jonathan Rhys Meyer), who they both fall for. Jess' father (Bollywood actor Anupam Kher) holds a grudge against the English but is soft-hearted toward his daughter. Jess' mom (a wonderful Shaheen Khan), who is preparing Jess' older sister, Pinky, for her wedding, prays that Jess will forgo her obsession with the sport for marriage and a life cooking Indian food for her future husband and family. Jules' mom (a hilarious Juliet Stevenson) tries to sway Jules into Wonderbras and girly clothes. But Jules, strong-willed and independent, is sure of her future: She wants to play soccer in America and nothing, not even her crush on Joe, will stop her. Mix-up's, family complications, a beautiful Indian wedding, and a neat resolution all follow. Like last year's equally thrilling "Monsoon Wedding," "Bend It Like Beckham" is terrifically fun entertainment; wonderfully shot and acted, instilled with spirit and life and able to woo us with its exhuberant freshness despite a triumph-over-adversity theme we've seen many times in different incarnations. It's explores the culture clash beautifully, and despite the predictabilty, it's a winner in every sense of the word. Definitely this year's feel good crowd pleaser.
Rating:
Summary: the movie america needs right now
Review: One critic for this movie put "Its a good thing they are showing this indoors, because if not, people would float away b/c it is so uplifting", and that basically sums up the movie. Already a HUGE hit everywhere around the world, especailly the place it was filmed, England, it is finally coming to the united states and expanding slowly. With war coverage on the news 24/7, people need a place to escape reality these past couple of months, and thats why the biggest hits this year (Bringing down the House, How to lose a guy in 10 days) are light hearted comedies. This is a movie you can go into, forget about all of your worries and troubles for two hours, and come out feeling refreshed, uplifted, and extremely happy. The storyline is pretty simple; an Indian family in England wont let their daughter play soccer anymore. If you are looking for a bunch of rolling on the floor laughs, you wont find them here, but the script is funny, witty, and definately will bring forth more than a few chuckles. I highly recommend this movie. Its the best one Ive seen all year and definately will end up being in my top 5 movies of this year. Movies were made to escape reality, and this movie does that more than any movie that is out right now. Go and see it now
Rating:
Summary: Guaranteed to put a goofy, long-lasting smile on your face
Review: There are so many delightful aspects of this film - the wonderful soundtrack, the chemistry between lead characters Jess and Jules, the color and pagentry of an Indian wedding, the realistic depiction of the soccer sequences, the pressures of balancing Indian family responsbilities and culture with the realities of growing-up in the football-drenched culture of England. This is director Gurinder Chadha's film from start to finish. She conceived it while watching England in the 2000 European Cup. And she nailed it. I mean, absolutely nailed it. There's not a single misstep in this film. Forget about whether or not you like or understand soccer. Forgot about whether or not you're into "foreign" cinema. This is a tremendous movie-going experience for just about anyone. I defy you to come out of the theater without a smile on your face.
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