Review of Bend It Like Beckham (2002) by Rachel B — 25 Jun 2010

See? I don't hate soccer.

Writing/Plot: The main story running through the movie (Indian girl wants to play soccer, but strict, traditional parents won't let her) is well-developed. Throw in a little romance and bam, you've got a movie. Start throwing in more elements (physical deformities, etc.) and it bogs the whole thing down. It feels like every few scenes, they have to throw something else at Jess, the main character, just to show how brave she is for overcoming it. 1/2 star.

Acting/Characters: Parminder Nagra trained with a Brazilian soccer coach for ten weeks prior to the movie, so that's really her with all the fancy footwork. I was concerned, because the first few scenes with her playing, you don't see her face. And she's a fine actress, to boot. Really, all the characters are solid. Keira Knightley, ahem, fits her role quite nicely. Teenage girl is like the role she was born to play. 1 star.

Visuals/Cinematography: There are parts that shine, like the last in-game sequence, but a lot of it looks like a TV show. Something about the colors or the brightness or something, I'm not sure. It's not bad, but it's missing a certain depth. 1/2 star.

Emotional Resonance: Here's where it gets you. Maybe I'm just a sucker for rooting for the underdog. And really, you can tell pretty easily where the movie's going. It's very formulaic. But that doesn't stop you from enjoying every upswing and cursing every pitfall. You'll feel good after you watch it. 1 star.

Sound/Music: The music is great! A lot of it is Indian, but it's contemporary, so it's easier to swallow. There's techno and upbeat, poppy stuff, and a Punjabi version of "Hot, Hot, Hot" (you know, the steel drum song) plays over the credits. 1 star.

So it's not a hard-hitting political drama or a big budget psychological thriller. It's a cookie-cutter movie about a girl chasing her dreams. Can't we just watch a movie for the fun of it anymore? 4 stars.