Currently in its fourteenth week on the box office charts, "Bend It Like Beckham" has emerged as a bona fide sleeper hit, and it's certainly not too late to catch this fun comedy in the theaters. With a bright look and an infectious soundtrack full of both Hindi and English songs, this is a perfect movie to take your friends to this summer.
A special note for those with a subtitle phobia: the movie is almost entirely in English, with only a few untranslated Punjabi phrases peppered throughout the film. Moviegoers might encounter problems trying to understand some of the speedier British slang spouted by a few of the teens, but there definitely shouldn't be any language or cultural barriers for the average American audience. The movie's fundamentally sweet story of a young girl pursuing her dreams definitely has universal appeal.
The young girl in question is Jess Bahmra (Parminder Nagra), a typical British teen who, like most people in the world, loves football (soccer to us Yanks) and, like most football fans in the world, idolizes David Beckham, Europe's premier footballer. Although she loves playing football in the park with her male friends, her traditional Punjabi parents are opposed to their daughter participating in such an unwomanly activity. However, when Jess is introduced to a woman's football league by Jules (Keira Knightly), another female football fanatic whom she meets while playing in the park, Jess secretly joins a team without telling her family.
The movie then proceeds in a somewhat episodic fashion, as Jess is repeatedly caught playing football by her parents and is told again and again to give up her foolish dream of being a female football star. Concurrent with the main storyline of Jess' dream, her older sister is in the process of getting married and her parents are terrified that the groom's parents will think badly of their family if one of their daughters is seen playing football like a man. Various hijinks ensue, and some of the most hilarious one-liners come from Jess' stereotypical Indian mother, in a role that probably required practically no acting
"Bend it Like Beckham" is still filled with great acting though; Nagra makes Jess simultaneously sweet and spunky, spontaneous and loyal, and the friendship shared between her and Jules in the film is entirely convincing. The movie also deals smartly with cultural issues growing up in Britain as well as basic teen issues in general.
Although the movie sports the title "Bend it Like Beckham," there isn't a very large amount of soccer playing going on during most of the film. While the overall movie is bright and enjoyable, the narrative kind of slows down and meanders during the episodic middle portion. In addition, when Jess and Jules get into a big fight involving their coach whom they both have a crush on, it's never fully explained how they make up and become friends again at the end of the movie.
Despite the somewhat contrived ending, however, this is still a highly enjoyable summer comedy. With its cross-cultural emphasis, wedding subplot and initial sleeper hit status, "Bend it Like Beckham" will no doubt earn comparisons with "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," however, it is a much smarter movie, employing its characters not as gross stereotypes, (Indian mothers notwithstanding) but as funny and complex people. This truly is a movie for everyone; girls will love the romantic subplot involving Jess and Jules' handsome Irish soccer coach, while guys will no doubt enjoy the slow-motion jumping exercises during the woman's team practice sessions as well as the numerous locker-room scenes. "Bend it Like Beckham" transcends both gender and culture, and is an entertaining and engaging movie for everyone to see.
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