Bend it Like Beckham
What a delight! It is so much more than My Sister’s Big Fat Indian Wedding, it is a truly pleasurable and funny, inspiring and sweet film, with great music, great performances, and interesting insight into a culture not much explored in American cinema. The title is odd, but it might as well say “With No Net Like Mike,” if that makes more sense. David Beckham (aka Mr. Posh Spice) is a seriously fabulous soccer player who “bends” balls around opposing players to make goals. He is idolized by Indian-British Jess (Parminder K. Nagra) who is living in Hounslow, England, in a tradition-bound Indian family and worse, is a girl. She wants to play soccer, and she’s good. These things are not what good Indian girls do. Happiness is not found in the same places for all people or cultures; hence the stuff of drama.
It’s a plot notion as old as Aristophanes but one which never gets old; finding and being who you are is the richest tradition to follow. Her parents are India-born but she and her sister are British born, and they twist in the windy freedoms of their home society as their immigrant parents resist and resent these freedoms. Nagra is simply fantastic – she’s dedicated and sincere, and her face reads a thousand emotions while still being very restrained and proper. Her performance alone is worth seeing the movie; but the movie is filled with both predictable obstacles and complications, and fresh new revelations as well. I had a wonderful time, and it was a simple, affirming tale of family and culture and passion for life. Go see it!
Of course, some comedy is mined from the culture clash between the traditional Indian ways and the British teenager’s life. It’s all the more fascinating to watch from an American standpoint because of course India and Britain have had such complex ties for so long that we don’t know as much about here. Sometimes it is difficult to imagine the barriers that Jess is confronted with, because they are so alien to both America rock star culture and Generica white-dominated pop culture. It’s not as broad and embarrassing as My Big Fat Greek Wedding, but then again, it is career rather than marriage that is at stake. The sweetness is richer for being so sincere and so poignant.
Enter also Jess’ soccer pals, Keira Knightley (Sabe the Queen’s Decoy from the Phantom Menace, and she looks it) and Velvet Goldmine’s Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, who create additional and hilarious (and sad) complications for Jess with her family. Knightley is super gung-ho and perhaps a bit off-kilter but it makes her character better, rather than making her unreal. Rhys-Meyers is so interesting to look at and so intent with his love of soccer and support of Jess it is almost unreal, but he redeems his preternatural qualities by the end. It’s a simple story and certainly no bolt from the blue when it all resolves, but it is a lovely, delightful, wonderful film that just plain old makes you feel good.
MPAA Rating PG-13
Release date 3/12/03 LA, NY, Chicago
Time in minutes 112
Director Gurinder Chadha
Studio Fox Searchlight
