Director: Gurinder Chadha
Stars: Parminder Nagra, Keira Knightley, Anupam Kher, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Shaheen Khan
Eighteen year old Jess (Parminder Nagra) is a huge footy fan, especially of superstar David Beckham, and would love nothing more than to play for the local team, the Hounslow Harriers. Unfortunately, her parents are against it for several reasons, not least of which because such a "masculine" activity flies in the face of her family's Sikh traditions. Her friend and teammate Jules (Keira Knightley), is facing similar trouble from her own mother, who worries that her tomboy daughter could- *gasp!*- be a lesbian. And both girls have developed feelings for their coach (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), which could lead to some friction between them.
This is one of my "Wedding List Nine" - Nine films that I have to watch before marrying my betrothed, Calamity Anna. We each made a list of films that aren't necessarily our favorites, and the other doesn't necessarily have to even enjoy, but which are representative of our personalities in one way or another. Thankfully, this one I actually enjoyed. It was done on the cheap, which shows, and there's nothing new here from either a technical or story perspective, but it's charming and likeable.
Another bonus is that the Sikh traditions, which in another film might be painted as backwards or reactionary, are given genuine respect and consideration. This isn't the story of a girl rebelling against some horrible, monstrous parents; this is the story of a girl caught between two worlds, both of which she loves, and both of which threaten to tear her apart.
The acting is mostly solid, particularly Shaheen Kahn and Anupam Kher as Jess's parents. Not sure why Keira Knightley ended up a break-out star from this; she looks weird, and her acting is pretty wooden.
The music is a nightmare of obnoxious American, British and Indian pop songs, but all perfectly appropriate for the target audience. The photography ain't winnin' any beauty contests, but it's serviceable enough not to be distracting. Chadha has a good enough eye that I'll be watching some of her other films in the near future.
FREDERICK OPINES: GOOD
Buy it through Blunderbuss! Bend It Like Beckham (Widescreen Edition)
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