As someone who's never been into sports, it seems like it would be hard for me to get into the football (or as we Americans inexplicably call it, soccer)-themed "Bend It Like Beckham". But I gotta say, this was one cool movie! Anglo-Indian Jesminder Bhamra (Parminder Nagra) and her WASP friend Juliette Paxton (Keira Knightley) love to play football (yes, I'm going to say it the British - and international - way) and just adore football player David Beckham. But Jesminder's traditional Sikh parents don't approve (her mother offers a really whacked-out description of football early in the movie). Okay, so maybe it was sort of a cliché in that sense, but you gotta love this movie! And if like me, you go to this movie not knowing the definition of "bend" in football...don't worry, the movie explains it (I'd also never heard of David Beckham prior to this movie). And we all know that Keira Knightley hit it big: a few months after "BILB" came out in the States, she starred in the equally cool "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl".

I really, really liked this film a lot. It was a small little British film that somehow struck a chord and became an international hit. And I could certainly understand why, as although the story is very old fashioned (mirroring themes in films such as THE JAZZ SINGER, EAT DRINK MAN WOMAN and Hollywood/BOLLYWOOD),the characters and style of the film made the whole experience come alive. With such a simple story, the director and writers did a great job of making the audience care about the characters--sucking you into the experience and touching your heart.

Unfortunately, the film also was initially a chore to watch, as I absolutely hated the soundtrack and almost turned the film off soon after it began because it was so darn loud and distracting. I really can't think of another film where the music level was so loud. Plus, if you don't like the Euro-beat, it really became annoying. Fortunately, I was able to tune it out but I wonder if viewers even older than me might feel even more disenchanted with the music, whereas younger folk probably will not be put off by it. I like loud music (hey, Heavy Metal and Hair Band music is great),but not when it takes center stage with a film that required a little bit more subtlety.

By the way, check out BOLLYWOOD/Hollywood. It's very similar to this film but is actually a better film showing the Indian experience in Canada. The family is Hindu (not Seikhs) but is very similar to BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM.

I am not into sports films as much as others, but I have enjoyed a fair few- Mean Machine, The Longest Yard(original),Hoosiers, Remember the Titans and this film. The footballing storyline can get predictable, such as the nail-biting finish resting on a penalty kick, and some of the romance is rather fluffy. However, there is much to praise about Bend it Like Beckham. It does have an opportunistic title, which is interesting in itself, while the concept is original and has the flavour of East is East in a way. The script does have its comical and heart-warming moments, and there are a lot of them, the pace is efficient, the direction is solid and the football is great to watch. I also liked how Bend it like Beckham was filmed, and the soundtrack which was exhilarating and drove the film even more. And the acting in general is very good, Parminder Nagra puts a lot of spirit into her title character and shows a considerable amount of skill as an actress and as a footballer, while Kiera Knightley is decent enough. My favourite though was Juliet Stevenson, who was a sheer delight as a Hounslow mum. Overall, very enjoyable and recommended. 8/10 Bethany Cox