Football has never been popular in the United States. Of course, what the world calls football is known to Americans as soccer - a sport with a reputation of being slow, monotonous and boring. Luckily, none of these descriptions can be used to describe "Bend It Like Beckham."
A 2002 sleeper hit in the United Kingdom, director and co-writer Gurinder Chadha draws the title's namesake from David Beckham, a world renowned footballer famous for his ability to make his shots defy gravity and "bend" into the goal. More importantly, he is known for his efforts to break the mold of the stereotypical brute football player.
The story revolves around Jesminder "Jess" Bhamra (Parminder Nagra), a young Sikh girl obsessed with Beckham, his sport and his desire to break away from tradition. Jess has tremendous talent for the game and dreams of one day making it to the pros, yet is hindered by her parents, who believe she should follow traditional Indian customs by getting married and becoming the ideal housewife.
Jules Paxton (Keira Knightley), an aspiring footballer who plays on a local woman's team, recognizes Jess' skills while watching her in the park and convinces her to join the team. Jess soon falls head over heals for the team's coach, Joe (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers) even after Jules tells her that Joe cannot date his players.
The story is, at first glance, structurally generic, but Chada infuses it with a lighthearted passion that few Hollywood films today can match. Jess's absurdly complicated life - as well as Jess herself - is a joy to watch.
Cinematographer Jong Lin keeps the pace of the film fresh and exciting, especially throughout the football scenes. He makes the game feel like an exercise in powerful, artistic movements and technical footwork instead of a sport consisting of sluggish passing and shooting.
While football is a major theme of "Bend It Like Beckham," Chada makes it clear that Jess' struggle with her roots and her dream is the focus of the film. While not as heavy-handed as the message in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," an ethnic film with an almost overwhelming portrayal of cultural clash, Chada gives viewers a detailed view of a traditional culture that is much more dazzling than anything "Wedding" offers, yet at the same time, keeps the atmosphere totally natural.
Jess is not an unsympathetic character; she plays football with a shadow of guilt looming over her shoulders, knowing that her decision to follow her personal goal is breaking her parents' hearts. In a clever scene, Jess' mother (Shaheem Khan) tries to teach her the ropes of traditional Indian cooking, while Jess is in the background practicing her ball handling with various vegetables. Chada gives the viewer a simple yet heartfelt reminder of the child in everyone that longed to break away from the old world rules parents have forced upon them.
Although similarities are few and far between, Chada manages to creatively use Jules's conflicts with her mother Paula (Juliet Stevenson) to show the parallels in generational gaps even between different cultures. Paula, in an attempt to feminize her tomboy daughter, pushes for Jules to purchase a Wonderbra. Jess's family also tries a similar tactic, tightening the bust of a dress for her, prompting a relative to say that "even these mosquito bites will look like juicy, juicy mangos."
While "Bend It Like Beckham" begins by emphasizing cultural differences, Chada miraculously weaves it into a tale of worldly similarity that most everyone can relate to. Chada gives viewers a film that is incredibly entertaining and uses its pure, believable charm to score a place in viewers' hearts.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
