Bend It Like Beckham Review
by Homer Yen (homer_yen AT yahoo DOT com)April 3rd, 2003
"Beckham" Scores a Goal
by Homer Yen
(c) 2003
What made films like "Monsoon Wedding" and "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" so fun to watch was the ideological clash between generations as Old World tradition of elders go head-to-head with more modern views of the youth. This can create a good deal of tension to those on the inside. But, from the outside looking in, it is a source of great comedy. "Bend It Like Beckman" has a similar feel. It is an insightful and tender coming-of-age story about two teenage girls who pursue their love of football (soccer) while at first dodging but then eventually mollifying the misgivings of their parents.
The film follows our heroine, Jess (Parminder K. Nagra). She lives with her traditional Sikh parents in the outskirts of London. Her father wears the traditional turban sporting the full facial beard. The mother continually tries to teach Jess how to cook a complete Indian meal. The parents watch TV shows like Punjabi karaoke. And a wall-size portrait of an Indian spiritual leader adorns the living room wall. A terrific plus is how the film highlights the beauty of their culture, from the food to the fabulous colors of the clothing to the festive moods of their gatherings. There is a flamboyant yet wholesome element to their lifestyle that is enviable.
While Jess is understanding of her parents and her heritage, she does not idolize her background in the same manner. Instead, we see in her room posters of soccer star David Beckham. She dreams of becoming a footballer herself. But, as in her funny opening dream sequence suggests, it is an impossibility. The parents are resistant to these outside influences, including playing soccer in shorts and the possibility of love with a non-Indian boy. In fact, whenever Jess attempts to be herself and then her parents randomly appear, the audience knows that she's in trouble. The other amusing element centers on Jess's teammate/friend, Juliette (Keira Knightley). She is equally appealing and her love for the traditional man's world of soccer makes her Mom wonder if she is in fact lesbian.
While enjoyable, questions will creep into your mind as the film winds its way to its towards its enjoyable conclusion. You'll likely wonder several times what is being said. The heavy British accents make the dialogue, at times, undiscernibly muffled. When Jess fumes, for example, she speaks faster than we can sometimes comprehend. Also, it seemed questionable to include Jess's soccer coach as a potential love interest. Because he seemed a bit too old to date a teenager and because the focus is about her love for soccer, this component seemed more like a distraction and didn't seem necessary. The film would have felt cleaner without it and would've certainly felt shorter. It does feel 15 minutes too long. And this was somewhat exasperated by a final closing sequence that never seemed to want to wrap itself up. It was like taking a quick trip to the local mall where you wind up spending 20 minutes parking.
What this film does well is to take familiar elements (familiar, if you've seen other similar fare) and infuse it with charm and bubbly performances. Jess and Juliette are the kinds of friends that we wish we were and had, and their parents strike the perfect balance between love, support, dismay and worry. As a story that brings generations closer together, you'll embrace this uplifting film.
Grade: B
S: 1 out of 3
L: 1 out of 3
V: 0 out of 3
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