Bend It Like Beckham
Cast
Parminder K. Nagra as Jesminder 'Jess/Jessie' Bhamra
Keira Knightley as Juliette 'Jules' Paxton
Jonathan Rhys-Meyers as Joe
Anupam Kher as Mr. Bhamra
Archie Panjabi as Pinky Bhamra
Directed by
Gurinder Chadha
Rater #2 has description and review.
Rater #1
5/10. I felt potentially bored in this movie. There was only one thing that I found funny, and that was the lesbian side plot. Though....it did seem like they actually were lesbians....they were really close...
Anyway, there seems to be a lot of Indian movies going on lately. I felt like I was dragged to see this movie. I would have rather seen Bruce Almighty, but I didn't. Matrix was right next store, so I could have seen that. This really wasn't all that good of a movie. One other thing is that I hate soccer, so that didn't help matters. This movie should have been called My Sister's Big Fat Indian Wedding and in smaller type While I go play soccer
The acting in the movie was fine, and was played by people that we don't actually know here in the U.S. Parminder K. Nagra was fine as the main role, but I don't know who I would have stuck in her place if I had directed. Keira Knightley seemed like a lesbian, and her mom seemed to think so too (the mom in the movie). She was cute, but she was only ok in the movie.
The rest of the movie was hunky dory. The title shouldn't have been named Bend It Like Beckham because this guy really doesn't show up all that much. See this movie if you're bored and have nothing else to do, or you like soccer.
Rater #2
7/10. Although it most definitely will be compared to My Big Fat Greek
Wedding, it really shouldn't be. Even though both of them have a
young person rebelling against their orthodox parents, Greek Wedding
is a nice little slapstick romantic comedy blockbuster. Bend It Like
Beckham isn't as much slapstick, but better in most every way, except
it isn't as funny, and it's looking to be the next indie-blockbuster,
which it shouldn't.
Jesminder "Jess" Bhamara (Parminder Nagra, in a very good debut)
lives with her mother (Shaheen Khan), father (Anupam Kher, star of
over 100 Bollywood movies), and sister Pinky (Archie Panjabi) in
England. She's a good football player (that's also called soccer),
and she often plays with boys in the park, and she always beats them.
One day, Juliet "Jules" Paxton (Keira Knightley) approaches her and
asks her to play for the only women's team in England.
She has to avoid her parents, because they don't want her to play
sports, they want her to do housework, then marry a man and live a
normal Indian life. Jess sneaks out of her house and pretends to be
going to work. Meanwhile, Pinky is getting married. Much to Jess's
dismay, her parents find out and Pinky's marriage is called off,
because Jess is a disgrace to her family. Also, Jess loves famous
British football star David Beckham, and has a crush on her coach,
Joe (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers).
Bend It Like Beckham is a fulfilling and "winning comedy", as one
tagline says. It had depth in the characters (unlike Greek Wedding,
which just throws characters in). We got to care about them, and
wanted to learn more about them. At many times I laughed, but it
seemed to have too many serious and slow points without comedy in it.
Although it had a more serous side than Greek Wedding, it didn't have
to go that far.
The cinematography at times was very good. It was spinning many times
and was on a crane many times. One especially cool shot was during a
match, when it was a first person view from a football. The music was
very good, also. Something else that was good was the acting. Nagra
gives a great debut, and she should be in more movies as the years go
by. Knightley, who looked very sexy throughout the movie, did a
performance that I didn't know was possible in movies like this. Kher
and Khan were very funny, and I believed everyone for what they were
in the movie. I would recommend Bend It Like Beckham if you like
comedies that are both funny and poignant.
Rater #3
Has Not Seen Movie.
Rater #4
Has Not Seen Movie.
Rater #5
Has Not Seen Movie.
Rated PG-13 for language and sexual content.
Running time: 112 minutes
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