"Bend It Like Beckham"
Jess Bharma (Parminder Nagra), the daughter of a traditional Sikh couple transplanted to England, is an ace on the soccer field, at least when she plays among her male friends. She is also a huge fan of British football great David Beckham, but, as she approaches the age of marriage, her parents forbid her to play the game and learn to cook the perfect chapatti. An English girl, Jules Paxton (Keira Knightley), sees Jess's remarkable potential and invites her to try out for an amateur girl's team. Jessie agrees and joins the Hounslow Harriers but must hide her secret life from her mother and father if she wants to "Bend It Like Beckham."
Advertising blurbs of "a real crowd pleaser" and "the feel good movie of the year" would suit "Bend It Like Beckham," but the real question is: Is it a critic pleaser? The film, with its positive girl-be-all-you-can-be message, definitely has what it takes to garner popular appeal. The surprise is that it is such a deftly handled, richly cast and crafted film that the critics, normally a curmudgeon-y group of folks, will also come out feeling good.
There is nothing all too original in the story of a young, aspiring athlete breaking with family tradition to seek her own life. What makes "Beckham" special is the marvelous, intelligent way the story, by helmer Gurinder Chadha, Guljit Bindra and Paul Mayeda Berges, takes its basic premise and weaves in multiple cultures, functional families (it is a pleasure to see family life depicted as normal instead of dysfunctional), healthy ambitions, humor, friendship and desire to do one's best.
The cast is easily one of the best ensembles of the year. Petite Parminder Nagra lends Jess a wide-eyed wonder as she comes to realize that her gift for football is not something that she has to give up because family "tradition" dictates it. She is at the cusp of her life where she can either pursue her dreams or succumb to the will of her parents to be a good Sikh wife. Newcomer Nagra displays the physical ability on the field and acting ability when off to make Jess an eminently likable character.
Keira Knightley is pretty and perky as Jules and provides the physical contrast to Jess. Mentally, though, they are of like mind in their love for their sport and their mutual interest in their coach, Joe (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), even though the team rules make him strictly off limits. Joe is a fully developed character who has the hots for Jess but understands his responsibilities to his job and the team. Bollywood superstar Anupam Kher makes his English language feature debut and positively anchors the film as Jess's father. He, too, once loved a sport, cricket, but gave it up when he moved to England because of racial prejudice. His Mr. Bharma is conflicted between helping his daughter avoid his mistakes and protecting her from such life disappointments.
Archie Panjabi wonderfully plays the tarty sister, Pinky, who is perfectly willing to follow the family traditions and be a loyal Indian wife as longs as she is a pampered Indian wife. She understands her sister's needs but is not willing to jeopardize her own life for soccer. Juliet Stevenson (who so stole the show as the wicked school marm in "Nicholas Nickleby") is funny as Jules's mother Paula, a lady who doesn't understand football, fears her daughter is a lesbian but really wants to be a supportive mom. Shaheen Khan is terrific as the traditional Indian mother who expects her daughters to walk the same path as she. Even background characters, like Jess's cousin Tony (Ameet Chana), are rendered as real people.
The dynamic combo of well-crafted production, a smart script and wonderful ensemble cast makes "Bend It Like Beckham" a special film that will (and deserves to have) appeal to a broad demographic. There are solid teen values, positive family influence, wry and touching humor and just an all-around good story. I give it an A-.
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