A Funny Movie that is Well Worth Watching. Review on Bend it Like Beckham Movie

I am not really much of a movie goer! In the last five years I have probably only been to the cinema five or six times. However, recently I was dragged along to our local Cineplex by my eldest daughter to see the British Comedy, “... Bend it Like Beckham ...”. Boy, am I glad that my daughter would not take no for an answer and insisted that I see the film. It was most enjoyable.

Bend it Like Beckham, is a Category 12 film and runs for some 113 minutes. It revolves around two young 18 year old girls: Jess, brilliantly played by Parmindev Nagra and Jules, played by young English actress Keira Knightley.It is set in West London,at a place called Hounslow.

The girls passionately love soccer. Jess, the Punjabi girl, has her bedroom walls adorned by pictures and cuttings about David Beckham. She engages in kickarounds in the local park and is spotted by Jules, who plays ladies soccer for a local team called Hounslow Harriers. Jules recognises that Jess has enormous talent and says she will talk to the team’s coach, Joe, played by Jonathan Rhys Meyers.

Jess is in a real dilemma. She loves and adores soccer but her Punjabi parents just want to grow up a young lady, marry a “good” Indian boy and be a devoted housewife. They are not at keen on their young daughter playing soccer. Meanwhile, Jess’s elder sister, Pinky, played by Archie Punjabi, although having had “affairs” on the side, is engaged to get married.

Jess had to bend the rules in order to go for a trial at Hounslow Harriers but her talent is obvious and Joe puts her in the team. She plays in a number of matches including one in Hamburg in Germany, where her romantic feelings for the handsome and very likeable coach Joe, gather momentum. Of course, she has had to bluff her parents who thought she was in Croydon.

The film is directed by Gurinder Chatha who is well known for having directed, Bhaji on the Beach. It is funny, Jules’ mother, played by Juliet Stevenson, is a scream: she is rather soppy, reactionary, Southern English mother with “conservative” ideas of what Jules should be. Jess emerges through the film as a very likeable, indeed loveable, young lady with a striking personality. Joe, the Coach, also comes across as a very principled and personable young man who sadly had his playing career cut short by a knee injury. His affection for Jess grows and grows and the film ends with both Jules and Jess setting-off to the USA where they have scholarships at University and a contract to play professional soccer in the States.

The final verdict! A brilliant Bollywood/ British comedy with some outstanding acting by the young Parmindev Nagra, Keira Knightley and Jonathan Rhys Meyers and the experienced Anupan Kher and Juliet Stevenson. There are guest appearance by ex soccer legends, Gary Lineker, Alan Hansen and John Barnes. I guess it was a relatively low budget production but this movie set mostly in Hounslow, West London and Hamburg, Germany, is well worth viewing. Nine stars out of ten from this reviewer.

Thanks very much for reading and rating!