Boy,
talk about your overnight success story. This film has
received critical acclaim and audience accolades from around the
globe, most notably the recent Sundance Film Festival.
"Bend It Like Beckham" will likely turn into this year's
version of "My
Big Fat Greek Wedding", though it is not very
comparable. But, it will do for writer/director Gurinder
Chandha what "My
Big Fat Greek Wedding" did for Nia Vardalos,
as in expose to her much more celebrity and work than every
before.
This
film stars as the luminous Parminder K. Nagra as Jess, the
daughter in a traditional Indian family. Her mother
desperately wants her to marry a successful Indian boy (i.e.
"My
Big Fat Greek Wedding"), and she believes her
daughter should act like any normal, respectable Indian girl.
However, Jess is different in that she has a love for a man who is
not of Indian decent. Who? Soccer star David Beckham
(Posh Spice's husband). She confesses her wants and desires
to a picture of the star, and eventually starts playing soccer
herself, against the wishes of her traditional Indian parents, of
course. She doesn't even tell them for a while.
One
day, Jess is seen playing in the park by Juliette (Keira Knightley)
and is recruited to join a girl's soccer team, coached by
Jonathan Rhys-Meyers). Enter the tension. Why?
Because both Jess and Juliette have a crush on the coach, though
he is not allowed to date players.
Oh
yes, and there has to be a wedding since it is an Indian film
(i.e. "Monsoon
Wedding"). The wedding is for Jess's
sister, and really does not pose that significant a storyline.
What
makes this film so original is that it deals with the Indian
belief structure, but mixes it in with the London lifestyle, so we
are really seeing a hybrid of that belief structure, whereas in
"My
Big Fat Greek Wedding",
everything was strictly Greek. Director Chandha crafts this
picture with flair and excitement and more energy than we see in
any teen oriented film nowadays. And, that is essentially
what "Bend It Like Beckham" is--a teenage coming-of-age
saga that manages to speak on several different levels.
The
performances, however, are what turn this into a very special
movie. The highlights come from Parminder K. Nagra as the
star, and Anupam Kher and Shaheen Khan as her parents.
Jonathan Rhys-Meyers is also very dashing and effective as her
soccer coach.
Like "My
Big Fat Greek Wedding",
you are going to catch yourself laughing out loud during some of
the scenes in this film, and that is what going to the movies is
all about. I doubt this film will see the same kind of
momentous success as the aforementioned Greek film did, but I
expect it to do rather well at the box office, especially once it
expands into wider release. With all of the violence and
depravity in the world today, especially of late, "Bend It
Like Beckam" is a nice change of pace with a solid message
and incredible performances.
-- Billy
Ray
( 3 1/2 out of 4 pops )
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