Bend It Like Beckham (Widescreen Edition)

Rating:
Summary: Best British film of the last 25 years
Review: This film works on many different levels and is very cleverly put together. The use of witty dialogue, a sharp fast paced script; together with a mix of Modern and Eastern music pulls this cliched concept film way ahead of the rest.

Since the rise of modern nation states, national sports have taken on an almost pseudo-religious form as if to compensate for our secular age. So the use of an alternate culture/religion as a counter-point is really a stroke of genious movie making. It was shot in 35 days and captures the essence of people that are so alive they jump off the screen.

The acting is OK (though a joke at times), the cinematography fine (nice inspired shot of a plane over a car), and the colours of the wedding/reception - including the enthusiasm of the people - has to be seen to be believed. Overall, a beautifully crafted movie which is the best British film since "Life of Brian" (1979).

Rating:
Summary: Aloo Gobi vs. Soccer
Review: Some may disagree but this is a movie on culture clashes more so than a sports or girl power movie. While there are references to some of the intricacies of the game of soccer as well as the double standards still imposed on girls in todayfs society, the heart of the matter is integration. While some may be surprised that the UK is a melting pot of races & cultures, Bend it Like Beckham (BIB), simultaneously portrays the issues faced by a middle class Sikh family attempting to retain the tenants of their culture in the face of increasing British influence and a young woman's battle to balance her own aspirations with those of her overbearing family.

The story revolves around Jess (Parminder K. Nagra), youngest of two daughters who excels in soccer while to the dismay of her family, mainly her mother, shows no interest in boys, fashion, or cooking. During a pickup game where she as usual, runs circles around the boys, she catches the attention of Jules (Keira Knightly), who is already a star on the local girlsf soccer team. Jess is invited to tryout for the team and what follows is a series of deceptions, misunderstandings, and family crises that illustrates the tenuous balance between integration, growing up, and individualism.

Both Nagra and Knightly do a standup job especially Nagra who delivers a spot-on performance. Jonathan Rhys-Meyers provides a less than enthusiastic performance as the team's coach and both Jess and Jules' love interest. Comic relief is provided by the respective mothers of both the girls: one is having nightmares of her daughter being a lesbian, the other of her daughter showing her legs in public and bringing shame on her family. In particular, Jessfmother's laments are hilarious and show the effective parental use of guilt & shame.

In addition to soccer, there are references to homosexuality and racism that are not forced but nicely woven into the theme and add a hint of realism to the proceedings. It also provides an interesting peek on Sikh communities where social status and materialism seem to play such strong roles. Talk about image and keeping up with Joneses! However, it really is a story on how the fence is straddled between Sikh & UK and family & individual.

Its not Zadie Smith's White Teeth but it does an effective and more importantly, an entertaining job of showing what life is like inside a melting pot, this time one that is simmering with delicious Aloo Gobi. BTW: the wedding scene is wonderful, what fun!

Rating:
Summary: Tremendous job in every category
Review: This story of a young Hindu girl in England trying to fulfill her dreams is just incredible. Although not from one of the so-called "big" studios - and though almost every actor and actress were unknowns - it succeeded with flying colors. The secret to its success was the blending of four plots into a workable whole - the girl and soccer, the cultural battle with her parents and the dual relationships with her best friend and her coach.

Let's hope this is not ruined with a sequel or - God forbid - a television series. Every character deserves kudos, especially the two moms. See it today!

Rating:
Summary: No Thank You
Review: I just finished watching this movie, and I'm so glad I rented it before I bought it. This is one of those films that pretends to be a "feel good" movie to hide the fact that it has a strong rightwing bent. The major lessons learned? It's okay to be a female that likes to play sports as long as you're not a lesbian. It's also okay to play sports as long as no one knows you are in love with someone of a different race/culture.

The idea that this movie would not only be made but would be embraced by certain critics makes me very sad. One of the major plots deals with a mother thinking that her daughter is a lesbian. The woman embarasses both her daughter and her daughter's friend in front of dozens of people at a wedding ceremony, but everything ends happily ever after when everyone involved realizes it was just a delightful misunderstanding. The white girl isn't a lesbian. Isn't it funny that the mother would have even thought of something so horrifying and disgusting?

And the main character? She's in love with a guy from a different culture and race. But she never tells her parents about it. The point of the movie is that she's talented at sports and should be able to play. The issues of racism and such are not important. All that matters is that she has a natural talent, she's not gay, and no one knows she is in love with a guy that is not Indian.

I couldn't be more disgusted about this movie. Again, I'm so glad I rented it before I bought it. The idea that hatred and bigotry are as strong as ever is enough to make me depressed as anything. I don't need to actually support the hate movement in the process.

Rating:
Summary: Wondeful Girl-Power, Feel Good Movie!
Review: Jess (Parminder K. Nagra) has always dreamed of playing football (soccer) in her native England, but Indian girls simply don't play professional sports. Still, Jess sneaks in practice with the guys in the park whenever possible and decorates her room with posters and other David Beckham treasures. Juliet "Jules" (Keira Knightley) sees Jess playing in the park one day and convinces her to come and try out for her all-girl team that is starting to get recognized. Before Jess knows it, she is playing with a great group of girls and learning more soccer skills than she ever dreamed of! There is just one small problem - her parents don't know that she is playing soccer. Jess has to sneak out to practice and games every time and only her older sister knows. But her older sister is so crazy over her upcoming wedding that she could care less what Jess does, until it threatens to break up her engagement and her chance at happiness. With Jess' family dead-set against her playing, Jules' mother thinking that they are a lesbian couple and both Jess' and Jules' feelings for their coach, Jess doesn't know if it is worth it be able to...bend it like Beckham.

This movie is just a fast, fun, girl-power movie that makes you feel like you can go out there and do anything! I thought that both Jess and Jules had absolutely hilarious families that kept be laughing during the whole film, yet, at the same time they made it so difficult for the girls to achieve their dreams. This movie has a little bit of everything for everyone in that respect: comedy, a love triangle, jealousy, culture clashes, growing up, honing sports skills, etc. I think that anyone (girl or guy!) would enjoy watching this gem of a film!

Rating:
Summary: Good but way too many musical interludes....
Review: The story was great - I loved how there was tension yet all the characters were caring and redeemable....the tension between cultures, the modern and ancient traditions....There were WAY too many musical interludes though and I found myself fast forwarding through all the music. I liked the music chosen, however the volume was much louder than when people spoke and I felt like I was either going deaf (during the musical interludes) or I already was deaf (during the spoken parts) because I couldn't always understand what the characters were saying with their British accents. It was a feel-good, somewhat fun drama.

Rating:
Summary: Awesome
Review: this movie is so awesome! i really dont know where to begin. The acting is fantastic. and its hard to tell how the movie will end, its not one of those predictable movies that in the end your like oh well i knew that would happen! It's very inspiring, it made me want to go out and kick a soccer ball around!lol...anyways its a fantastic movie! Get it and see for yourself!

Rating:
Summary: Great Fun
Review: Saw this movie with some friends during the summer. We walked out of the theater in awe. This is a great comedy for anyone, very charming story.

Rating:
Summary: Football reigns!
Review: It seems that quite a few people classify this film as a 'feel-good' film. While it definitely has a cheery and warm aura about it, it is deeper than your average, cheap, 'let's smile about life' film because not only does it focus on the double-standards in football, it touches on the evident culture clashes in the UK and the problems of family pressure.

Positive Points:
Parminder Nagra who plays Jess is really great in this film. She plays the footballing, Beckham fanatic, Asian-British girl who sneaks away to play football with such style and charm that you can't help but hope that she succeeds in her aim.

The script is fun and amusing. I couldnt help laughing at the subtle but funny references to David Beckham.

The pace of the film is steady and each scene is filled with something either amusing or relevant to the film. It never strays from what it is trying to portray.

Negative Points:
The character that Keira Knightley plays. She is just the only negative part in this film because at first she seems great because she is friendly but her impulsive nature later on in the film changes that.

Rating:
Summary: absolutely charming!
Review: Simply put, I'm not a fan of "feel-good" movies. I like mysteries and drama and tension-- then I watched "Bend it Like Beckham," and I was immediately hooked. I've re-watched the movie five times *in a row*, and I'm still not tired of it.

There is a little bit of romance for the "awww" factor, but the movie focuses more on a teenaged girl's dream and her relationship to her culture. As a teenaged girl with a background of two cultures, I appreciated the matter-of-fact, realistic tone the movie took. It's not all about angst and pride, and the movie did a wonderful job of capturing this.

Jess's friendship with Jules was also a major factor of the movie, and it really helped tie the movie together.

Also, I was extremely interested by the snippets of Indian traditions the movie showed, and the movie did it with such graceful dignity and self-aware humor that I enjoyed every minute of the film.

Yes, it is a feel-good movie about a girl with a talent for soccer and who is taking realistic steps towards fulfilling her dreams. However, it is also a movie that handles itself without pretension. I will never get tired of watching it.