Bend It Like Beckham
(2002)
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An Indian family in London tries to raise their soccer-playing daughter in a traditional way. Unlike her traditional older sister, Pinky, who is preparing for a lavish Indian wedding and a lifetime of cooking the perfect chapati, Jess dreams of playing soccer professionally, like her hero David Beckham. Wholeheartedly against Jess' unorthodox ambition, her parents eventually reveal that their reservations have more to do with protecting her, than with holding her back. When Jess is forced to make a choice between tradition and her beloved sport, her family must decide whether to let her chase her dream--and a soccer ball--or follow a more orthodox path. |
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This feel-good teen-oriented comedy drama from Bhaji on the Beach director Gurinder Chadha has two things going for it, besides its opportunistic title: it's set in the world of female football (hardly a subject that's been done to death at the cinema) and against a background of intransigent first-generation Indian tradition in suburban Britain — giving it the flavour of the superior East Is East. Newcomer Parminder Nagra is skilled in both acting and ball-control as the teenager who “worships” at her shrine to England captain David Beckham. It's the crushing predictability of the footballing storyline (nail-biting finish resting on a penalty kick, anyone?) and her wooden co-star Keira Knightley that let her down. Clashes between Indian and English culture are played with knowing humour, and Juliet Stevenson is hugely entertaining as a Hounslow mum, but too much of the plot hinges on misunderstanding and if you're over 17, you may find the romance a little fluffy.
Halliwell's Film Guide
Broad comedy of cultural differences with no surprises but a few laughs along the way.