Jesminder (Jessie) is an Indian girl growing up in the UK. She is months away from entering the university, but all that is on her mind is soccer. One day, a girl named Jules, who plays for an organized girls' team, sees Jessie playing in the park and is impressed by her skill. She invites Jessie to join her team.
Click here to see the rest of this review...
Secretly, Jessie joins the team, knowing that her traditional parents do not approve of her love of the game. They want her to act more lady-like, wear make-up and dress like a woman, to get ready for a husband, and to learn how to cook traditional Indian dinners. With the family caught up in preparations for Jessie's sister's upcoming wedding, however, she thinks her secret is safe.
The review of this Movie prepared by Erin McKeag
Jess is an Indian girl living in England, who wants to play football like her idol, David Beckham. Her family, meanhwile, isn't too fond of her love for him. They want her to marry a nice Indian boy, and make Aloo Gobi. Jess then joins a girl's football team, and makes friends with her coach, Joe and her team-mate, Jules. Day after day, Jess sneaks out of the house to play in the games. When her parents find out, they aren't too happy, especially with Jess's sister wedding, they don't have time for her shinagons. Soon, she winds up in a lot of trouble when the family thinks she's gay, and when she's almost caught drinking. When, Jess wants to play football in England, that's is when the real trouble comes. Parminder K. Nagra may have more screen time as Jess, but it's Keira Knightly who's the star in her amazing comedic performance as Jules.
The review of this Movie prepared by Estefan Ellison
Jess (Parminder K. Nagra) has always dreamed of playing football (soccer) in her native England, but Indian girls simply don't play professional sports. Still, Jess sneaks in practice with the guys in the park whenever possible and decorates her room with posters and other David Beckham treasures. Juliet "Jules" (Keira Knightley) sees Jess playing in the park one day and convinces her to come and try out for her all-girl team that is starting to get recognized. Before Jess knows it, she is playing with a great group of girls and learning more soccer skills than she ever dreamed of! There is just one small problem - her parents don't know that she is playing soccer. Jess has to sneak out to practice and games every time and only her older sister knows. But her older sister is so crazy over her upcoming wedding that she could care less what Jess does, until it threatens to break up her engagement and her chance at happiness. With Jess' family dead-set against her playing, Jules' mother thinking that they are a lesbian couple and both Jess' and Jules' feelings for their coach, Jess doesn't know if it is worth it be able to...bend it like Beckham.
This movie is just a fast, fun, girl-power movie that makes you feel like you can go out there and do anything! I thought that both Jess and Jules had absolutely hilarious families that kept be laughing during the whole film, yet, at the same time they made it so difficult for the girls to achieve their dreams. This movie has a little bit of everything for everyone in that respect: comedy, a love triangle, jealousy, culture clashes, growing up, honing sports skills, etc. I think that anyone (girl or guy!) would enjoy watching this gem of a film!
The review of this Movie prepared by Debbie
An Indian girl living in Britian dreams of becoming a soccer star, but it is something her parents forbid her from doing. A British girl notices her skill and she asks her to join their team. She agrees and plays without her parents knowing. When her parents find out she has to choose between tradition and her dream.
The review of this Movie prepared by Jack Bauer
Bend It Like Beckham is a movie about an Indian girl named Jess who really wants to play soccer, but her mom doesn't want her to because it's against her traditional ways. A friend of Jess' (Jules) helps her join a girls soccer league, where the two girls fall for their off limits coach. At a tournament in Germany, Jules walks in on Jess kissing the coach, and runs off feeling betrayed. Eventually, the girls make up, Jess gets the guy, and the two girls go off to play soccer in the US.
The review of this Movie prepared by Lauren
Jesminder "Jessie" Bhamra (Nagra), the daughter of Sikh immigrants to London, is 18 and studying for her exams to enter university. More important, she is obsessed by soccer ("football" to everyone in the movie and in the world besides the U.S.) and a rabid fan of David Beckham, the pro who plays for Manchester United and England. One day, booting the ball with the guys in the park, Jess is spotted by a league player, blonde and athletic Juliette "Jules" Paxton (Knightley), who recruits her to play for the amateur girls team, the Hounslow Harriers. Both girls are rather taken with their young Irish coach, Joe (Rhys-Meyers), a fine player who turned to coaching girls soccer after injuring his knee. The big problem is that Jessie's parents, particularly her mother, want her to learn to cook traditional Indian meals and catch the perfect Indian husband. Jess has to resort to lying and sneaking around to pursue her beloved sport. This 2002 British import is a delightful feel-good movie: It's more about family and culture clashes than sport -- true soccer fans will be disappointed by the action shots and newbies won't learn much about the sport -- and has lots of light plot complications (Jess and Jules are mistaken for lesbian lovers, the wedding of Jessie's older sister coincides with the vital semifinals where an American scout is expected to check out the girls). Not terribly deep, but pleasantly diverting.
The review of this Movie prepared by David Loftus
Jess, an Indian British girl has an obssesion to play soccer but her family especially her mother is very fanatic of their heritage culture and prohibit her to play soccer. With a friend's help she joins a girl soccer league and really works hard to be a winner.
The review of this Movie prepared by M.Y.Prasetyo
BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM is a british comedy directed by Gurinder Chadha in 2002. The picture was nominated for the European Film Award in the "Best Film" category.
It's an hilarious comedy depicting the efforts made by a young British-Indian girl to impose her passion for soccer to her parents. Jess and Jules (Juliette) are very talented in a sport that is reserved, in England anyway, to men. Both are in love with Joe, the coach of the team, who is more attracted by the Indian Jess. This latter has a hard time trying to convince her relatives that soccer is a sport like another and she must fight all kind of ethnic and social prejudices. A superb movie about tolerance and integration. Highly recommended. NB: David Beckham is a notorious soccer player in Europe.
The review of this Movie prepared by Daniel Staebler
