Review of Bend It Like Beckham (2002) by Bruce S — 18 Mar 2010

This is a heartwarming tale of Jasminder, an Indian girl who has just graduated from high school. Her entire life centers on soccer, as demonstrated in her room decor and the opening sequence of the movie. She just wants to become a professional soccer player, but her family thinks it is not right for Indian women to pursue soccer. This movie shows the struggles of both an Indian person wanting to break outside her cultural barriers and women wanting to break outside the gender restrictions found in sports, especially in England at the time. The two main characters are played by Parminder K. Nagra and Jules Paxton (Keira Knightley) as they strike up an unlikely friendship which centers on their mutual passion for soccer and their technical infatuation with David Beckham. Parminder Nagra is a wonderful, expressive actress and her work here, showing a sense of familial duty while craving independence, is well done. Quite beautifully and so expressive. Keira Knightley belts out a great performance, and the normally flamboyant Jonathan Rhys Meyers plays the sexy coach with subtle perfection.

I especially love this film because we all know what it's like to have goals and the obstacles we must face in order to achieve them. It is a great movie for anyone who likes sports, comedy, romance, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, and also includes an awesome soundtrack and a script that kept moving with never a dull moment.