User Reviews

Jess is 18, very smart and wants nothing more than to play football, when she joins a local team she has to lie to her parents again and again, as they would never approve of her chasing her dream, they want her to settle down with a nice Indian boy and learn how to cook.

Bend it Like Beckham is a very funny feel good movie that doesn't need to be deep and complex, it's just fine as it is. The cast are all very good and they play their roles very well, the story is simple and predictable, but it works perfectly and the script is very realistic and very funny.

A great Family movie 8/10

The title of this film nearly put me off watching it. Not being a Manchester United fan, the mere mention of Beckham was a bit off putting, however I put my prejudices behind me and I'm glad I did.

I wasn't expecting much of a film, but I was pleasantly surprised. The film sped along with me never looking at my watch and I enjoyed every second of the film. If you liked East is East then you'll love this film. OK so the storyline is nothing new, and the classic storylines are contained within the film but it's all done very funnily, and with a breath of fresh air. The film moves very fast and keeps the audiance entertained. The occaisional funny moments are a good chuckle and not some poor attempt at humour, and best of all it's a good british comedy.

Eight? Eight for a predictable sports-based movie where the lead overcomes every obstacle thrown at her and triumphs at the end just like every other sports-based movie? Have I gone mad? Well, no actually because although "Bend It Like Beckham" is as original as a boy-band cover version, it is still a surprisingly enjoyable film which somehow manages to avoid becoming another chick-flick cliché. A solid cast add to the mix but while there are plenty of goals, there are still one or two holes at the back which threaten the side. Incidentally, whenever I talk about football, I refer to soccer in case any US readers get confused.

Parminder "ER" Nagra plays Jess, a rebellious daughter in a strict Indian family living in London. Obsessed with football star David Beckham and possessing more skills on the pitch than she realises, she is spotted by another female footballer Jules (a very young-looking Keira Knightly) who persuades her to try out for a local football team, the Hounslow Harriers. Keeping her place in the side a secret from her family, she struggles with the gaping chasm in culture as well as her feeling for her coach Joe (Jonathan Rhys Meyers). As her sister's wedding day approaches and the resentment from his disapproving parents (Anupam Kher and Shaheen Khan) grows, can she develop her skills further and secure her dream of playing professionally in the US?

Like I said, there is nothing shocking and surprising about the screenplay which manages to throw in every conceivable barrier for our hero to overcome. And despite the creaking plot, the story is enlivened by quality performances throughout. Nagra and Knightley are fantastic but Meyers lets the side down a bit. There is also a surprising amount of humour which is genuinely amusing, particularly from Knightley's mother (Juliet Stevenson) who worries excessively that her daughter is a closet lesbian. The clash of cultures does offer a unique perspective as far as sports movies go but it isn't much to offer the casual movie fan.

But that's the thing with sports movies - no matter how impossible victory looks or how many obstacles you put in front of the hero, you still watch them to see the hero overcome it all and bask in the glory they richly deserve. You already know how the movie will end but that doesn't stop you enjoying it - a philosophy that surely led to Sylvester Stallone making "Rocky Balboa" recently. The fact that the hero in "Bend It Like Beckham" is a cute Indian girl instead of a sixty-year-old meat head means that this is not your typical sports movie. Instead of guts and sweat, it has heart and brains and it's that which gives this film its rating. See, I haven't gone mad...

`Bend It Like Beckam' is a heartwarming charmer about a young girl's search for identity in 21st Century England. Like `Fiddler on the Roof,' `Beckam' deals with the painful struggles tradition-bound cultures must go through as they enter a looser, more freedom-loving modern world. The culture in this case is that of immigrant and first-generation Indians living in Great Britain. As with all such tales, it is the young folk who feel the need to pull away from the stuffy values of the past, and who end up dragging the reluctant older folk kicking and screaming into the future right along with them.

Jess Bharma is a fairly typical teen with dreams of becoming a world-class soccer player. However, Jess also comes from a very traditional Indian family that believes a girl should not play around with boys, show her legs in public, or aspire to much beyond marrying a good Indian boy and raising a family. We've seen this kind of set-up countless times before and `Bend It Like Beckam' will certainly not win any prizes for creativity or originality. It does, however, have a youthful exuberance and a generous spirit that can't help but captivate even the most diehard, coldhearted cynic. Parminder K. Nagra is utterly winning as young Jess, capturing all the innate optimism and unquenchable enthusiasm of this irrepressible character. She receives superb support from a cast of outstanding actors, both young and old, including Keira Knightley as Jules, her inspirational buddy who provides Jess with the opportunity to bring her dreams to fruition; Jonathan Rhys-Meyers as Joe, the handsome young coach who provides lessons in love along with lessons in soccer; Anupam Kher as Jess' father, who turns out to have some of his own personal demons to deal with; Shaheen Khan as Jess' mother, who doesn't understand why her daughter can't be content with the pre-ordained life her parents have laid out for her; and Juliet Stevenson as Jules' mother, who proves that Indians don't hold a patent on tradition-obsessed parents. In its quiet, gentle way, the film also confronts the issue of racism, particularly in terms of how the Indians are often still treated as second-class citizens in British society.

As directed by Gurinder Chadha, `Bend It Like Beckham' is a light-on-its-feet `feel-good' film that never takes itself too seriously. The movie suffers a bit from a sitcom mentality, as when, for instance, Jules' parents labor under the illusion that their daughter and Jess are actually lesbian lovers. The plotting, in addition to being predictable at times, often seems contrived and excessively melodramatic (the rivalry between Jess and Jules over Joe being the primary offender). But this isn't enough to do any serious damage to the film as a whole.

Thus, if you're looking for a film that is easygoing, uplifting and comfortably old-fashioned in its demeanor and theme, `Bend It Like Beckham' is for you.

Thoroughly enjoyable film about a Sikh girl wanting to be a footballer. Highly unlikely in real life but you want her to be victorious and the film is put together very well to hold your attention. Whilst the football element isn't worth very much, the film is well worth watching

The idiots on here criticising this movie for being unrealistic and silly, it's supposed to be !

This is a very light hearted sweet film, very English but harmless and it doesn't pretend to be anything else.

I love playing football and I thought this movie was great because it contained a lot of football in it. This was a good Hollywood/bollywood film and I am glad it won 17 awards. Parminder Nagra and Kiera Knightley were good and so was Archie Punjabi. Jonathon Rheyes Meyers was great at playing the coach. Jazz (Parminder Nagra) loves playing football but her parents want her to learn how to cook an want her to get married. When Jazz starts playing for a football team secretly she meets Juliet (Kiera Knightlety) and Joe (Jonathon Rhyes Meyers) who is her coach. When her parents find out trouble strikes but her dad lets her play the big match on her sisters Pinky (Archie Punjabi's) wedding. At the end her parents realise how much she loves football and let her go abroad to play.

It's really refreshing to re-visit this film, 16 years later, lots of know British actors, the most famous of course being Keira Knightley. Perhaps football has moved on slightly for women and some cultural traditions too, but I'm sure both still have a relevance.

Wow, I can't believe I waited so long to see this film. I just never got around to watching it. The plot has nothing that interests me. I know nothing about soccer (football.) I am one of those American fools that has no clue. I had never even seen David Beckham before this film. I chose to ignore the buzz surrounding this film at the time it was released in America. Enough about me.

Truth be told, it was a mistake to ignore this little piece of movie-making heaven. What a fun film. It's full of color and exuberance. I had a goofy grin on my face through the whole movie. Parminder Nagra is so sweet and lovable, you can't help but root for her. No wonder why the American television show E.R. has snatched her up. I have a new appreciation for Indian culture. Those people know how to have a good time. The wedding scenes are dazzlingly beautiful.

The only problem I had was deciphering some of the British slang and dialogue through the accents. I turned on the English subtitles to make sure I didn't miss anything. (This is not a criticism of the film!) I'm sure audiences worldwide have trouble understanding the constantly changing slang in American films as well.

This is a perfect date film. It has a great sports plot like Rocky, and a strong sense of feminism that is empowering for women. I watched it with my wife, and sixteen year old niece, and we all loved it. I highly recommend it.

Bend It Like Beckham is a really enjoyable film with a lovely uplifting message and spirit at the heart of it.

It tells the story of Jess, whose family and culture clash with her one true passion - football. I always find stories like this really interesting as they explore very real experiences in an engaging and relatable way. The plot is well thought out, following Jess as she tries to pursue football while navigating her family and relationships along the way. It makes for a lovely warm and uplifting film that will be sure to put a smile on your face.

It does feel a tad long by maybe 10 minutes or so since the ending is so predictable, but the journey there is fun and filled with lots of great laughs and emotional moments.

I think the biggest weakness of this film is the football element though. The football action is awful. Not that anyone is really watching this film to see some great football, but come on a bit more effort could have been put into this part of the film.

What I really enjoy about this film though is the lead performances from Parminder Nagra. She brings such a great likeability to the character making it such a treat to follow her journey through the film. You will find yourself rooting for her immediately which is always key for a film like this.

Overall a lovely and warm film that won't fail to put a smile on your face.

They used to make B movies once. This is a modern B movie. It is formulaic rubbish. Save your money and go see something decent. If you go to see this movie, you will be reminded of a whole host of better movies that it tries hard to emulate.

I had to endure this movie on a long plane flight. I never went to see it at the cinema. It did not lighten my frustration at not being allowed to smoke, in fact it made me more irritable and glad to get off the plane.

In short, this film stinks. The charactors aren't even 2 dimensional. I have trees in my back garden that are more rounded than the charactors in the film and whats more, it is more entertaining watching my trees grow.

Okay, first of I hate commenting on this thing but I felt like I had to stand up for this movie. So many people were bashing on it and I felt like people who might want to see it should get a second opinion.

First off, Bend It Like Beckham is not meant to be the most profound movie of the century. If that's what you're looking for go somewhere else. Just because it is an independent film does not mean it has to be artsy. It's supposed to make you feel good and you're supposed to have fun watching it and those two things are handily accomplished.

Secondly, the acting though not "Halle Berry in Monster's Ball" is still good. The movie doesn't need acting like that honestly so don't look for it. It's a family movie. If that's what you wanted you wouldn't or shouldn't even be looking into this movie honestly.

Lastly, It has a really cute story. I think it's thought out well and it's entertaining to watch. It's also very true to life for the most part for that culture so if you want to sit down and watch a movie that you can enjoy and feel good about when you're finished. If you're looking for something with deep thought out plot lines and big dramatic scenes this is not for you.

-Lyndsay

Hey, check it out -- other countries can make predictable formula movies too! But seriously, even though no plot "twist" in this movie comes as a surprise, it's smartly written, full of entertaining little touches (especially concerning the main character's Panjabi family and their social circle) and thoroughly enjoyable. I came out grinning. Performances were good all around, too.

Oh my god ! This is terrible. Better scripts have been written on the back of matchboxes. As subtle as an avalanche and painfully predictable. A sad excuse for a film and a waste of obvious talent. Avoid, unless already braindead.

This movie might best be characterized as a collection of formulas - underdog sports flick, culture clash flick, generational conflict flick, young-love-overcomes-obstacles flick. The setting of transplanted Indian-ness makes it feel like one of Mira Nair's films - `Monsoon Wedding' or `Mississippi Masala.' There's also quite a bit of youthful, flippant, foul-mouthed, blue-collar London impertinence going on - an episode of `Eastenders,' perhaps.

And yet to dismiss the movie with this quick sketch and a few references would do it a terrible injustice. OK, no, it is perhaps not `great.' It's a feelgood movie, and while it dips a bit into serious subject waters, it doesn't stay down too long. And, it really IS a collection of all these movie formulas - and, I submit, they do exactly what they're intended to do. It's ALMOST too much, but it's not. The formulas lead to their inevitable pay offs, of course, but they pay off in ways that are not quite expected. The final outcome is rarely in doubt, but throughout the twists and turns, the audience (at least the audience where I was watching), find themselves shamelessly twisting their hankies on the sidelines, crying just a little where they're supposed to cry, and cheering when they can't but cheer. There is a point at which you want to stand up and clap wildly - it's not at the end, so you can't, but the audience where I saw it sure wanted to. I think they felt a little cheated that they couldn't. The mood of the end is not one conducive to raising the rafters, but many clapped softly anyway. Granted the movie isn't timed quite right, but it really IS that good - it makes you want to show your gratefulness for the efforts of writer, director, and actors.

Any flaws of timing or plausibility I find I can easily forgive due to the overwhelming charm of the movie's star, Parminder K. Nagra. Her expressions, her boundless energy and defiance, her ability to convey the conflict her character feels between duty to family and wishing for something more - I was completely taken in, from start to finish. This actress is going places. She has the kind of playful wit and irreverence you see in the best early John Cusack, coupled with a depth to play convincing disappointment and struggle. If you love `Say Anything,' with the passion that most true devotees, including me, do - you will love this film. In fact, if `Say Anything' is your favorite film, drop whatever you're doing and RUN out to see this film, before it leaves theatres. Drive 100 miles if you have to. It has that same magic.

It doesn't hurt that Ms. Nagra possesses a true, deep, classic beauty and grace akin to that of, say, a Kelly or a Bergman. I mean, my fellow red-blooded males, this woman is flat-out, drop-dead stunning. She's equally fetching as a feisty tomboy jock (my personal preference) or as an elegant, traditionally clad Sikh woman. Go see it to watch her, even if the subject matter isn't your thing.

It is perhaps not a great movie, but it's one that will, due to its sheer quirkiness and great heart, likely find its way onto the `favorites' shelves of many, and not just young girls aspiring to make it big and become soccer stars. Evidently the movie is a huge hit in England and Germany, and Parminder is well on her way to becoming a superstar. Go out and see what all the fuss is about.

P.S. I must beg to differ with the reviewer who claims that women's soccer is not big in the U.S. Women's soccer is HUGE in the U.S. - there are perhaps ten times as many young women playing soccer in America as in the whole of Europe. The U.S. national team is THE powerhouse international women's team, and has been for almost a decade. Brandi Chastain's shirt-removing gesture in the 1999 Women's World Cup, which graced the cover of Time, Newsweek and Sports Illustrated, has become iconic. Young women from around the world most certainly DO aspire to be on American college teams - North Carolina and Santa Clara, I believe, particularly. American Mia Hamm, far and away the greatest women's player of all time, dominates the sport like a Michael Jordan. I'm fairly sure the U.S. is the only country to have a professional women's soccer league (maybe Japan as well?). This film is fully aware of this. If girls' soccer coaches from age five on up don't make this film required viewing for their team, they should consider leaving coaching.

For a while, I sat blank staring at the screen wondering why my friends had forced me to watch this film. But after that point, I wondered why nobody had made me see it sooner.

You will have to adjust to the characters and possibly the accent (if you're American), but once you do, you will fall in love with these characters. The plot is simple: a girl wants to be a professional soccer player, but her family thinks it is not right for women to pursue soccer. You may not have strict parents or a love for soccer, but we all know what it's like to have goals and face the obstacles we must face in order to achieve them.

By the way, it's Keira Knightley. She's a little thin for my liking in this movie, but her acting is fine, and heck - it's Keira Knightley, probably the biggest rising star in England today. You know you can't get enough of her (especially if you've seen "The Jacket").

What I really liked is the angle of Indian and Sikh culture. That's certainly not what you expect from a soccer film. But it's all here: the weddings, the music, the weird old man in the weird painting... a little background in Sikhism or Indian culture would be helpful, but not necessary to enjoy this film.

You can do worse. Recommended to watch if you're in a bonding situation (especially if you're two girls) or might be a lesbian. Everyone else, you can watch this film, too. I'm not a lesbian, and I enjoyed it.

I'm glad when a movie like this finds an audience. First of all, its not typical Hollywood product, which is a magnificent beginning, and you know that the director/screenwriter just had a vision of what kind of movie that they could make and didn't get all caught up in all that LA garbage you hear about. They actually had a story to tell, had to sell it, and someone believed in the project.

I found some of the romantic/dramatic subplots slightly juvenile, but I'm a 40-something guy so its kind of natural that kind of thing might annoy me at times.

I'd only seen Rhys-Myers in "Velvet Goldmine", which I didn't enjoy, but here he's very good and has a lot qualities I like in an actor. His eyes are very expressive and the camera picks that up. You don't learn that, you just have it or you don't. I like him enough to risk seeing the project he's doing for Woody Allen. For all the sub-par movies Woody's made in the past ten years, I never once questioned his choice of actors, and I'm certainly not starting now.

Have fun with the movie. It doesn't change the world and, thankfully, doesn't want to either. 7/10.

Probably a pretty important movie culturally. I suspect it has many sister movies in various other cultures across the world.

This witty, comedic but perspicacious dissection of gender, sexuality, identity, ethnicity and body image never feels forced or sanctimonious. It is a friendly and fun story of a person that just wants to indulge a passion and is under a lot of pressure from both sides.

As a child of the '90s I have this tendency to think sexism ended in the fall of 1988 and this reminds us of prejudices that women, as well as men have, in telling people who they can't be for various reasons.

I'm tempted to say that every remotely subcontinental actor I've seen on British television makes an appearance at some point.

A challenging but accessible feel-good movie that doesn't just cave into easy solutuons.

As a 90s kid (and a girl) who loved playing football in India, I always enjoyed this movie. I rewatched this movie today (in 2020!!) and it's still fantastic! There are such few movies that I enjoyed in early 00's but don't find cringey now.. this is definitely one of them.

Bend It Like Beckham is a romantic comedy sports film directed by Gurinder Chadha. The film stars Parminder Nagra, Keira Knightley, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Anupam Kher, Juliet Stevenson, Shaznay Lewis and Archie Panjabi.

A girl from typical Indian family goes against the wish of her parents to play professional football.

This film was like a fresh breeze of air and I've seen a decent film after a long time, be it acting or the execution everything was good although the screenplay was little predictable but that's something which is understandable.

Acting is superb and Parminder Nagra, Keira Knightley and Jonathan Rhys Meyers were superb. Anupam Kher was also very impressive and superb in the rile of strict father.

Screenplay was decent and despite of the film was predictable gives a feel good feeling. Climax of the film is also good.

Overall a decent film and a must watch.

Lots of people came away from this film entertained and amused. Im afraid I did'nt. This was one of the only films I have nearly walked out on. It was one big badly written, unfunny, cliched mess. Unlike the amazing East is East there is no real attmept at decent characterisation. All the older Indian people are bigots and all the kids are caught between their british-ness and their parents Indian traditions. Jonathan Rhys Myers does his usual brilliant job of making an already one dimenshioned character seem lifeless. Take the piece of dialogue between his Irish character and Jess 'Im Irish, of course I know about racism' Couple that with endless trite, cliched dialogue and a dull story its no way near the joy that was East is East

Just re-watched this and I had forgotten what a great movie this is. I love teh way that Gurinder Chadha portrays Indian family life in such an entertaining way, I loved another of her movies, Bhaji on the beach, which was even funnier than this, but Bend it like Beckham is a great story, brilliantly told and wonderfully acted by everyone. Parminder Nagra, Keira Knightley and Jonathan Rhys Meyers were all good in the lead roles, but I thought that Anupam Kher was brilliant as the father. It is wonderful how Gurinder Chadha shows the lives of immigrants to this country in such an entertaining, but thought provoking way. I have this now on DVD and it is definitely one to keep.

I finally saw this movie on DVD the other day and I was greatly disappointed considering what I've heard of it. Sure, there were charming moments, like the Babaji thing and many other Indian-vs-British things, Jules' mother was hilarious, and Parminder Nagra was acting convincingly, but that was it.

The story was utterly predictable and ALWAYS followed the clichés. That isn't always a problem if the rest of the movie is charming enough, which I thought it would be, but it wasn't. Despite the good acting of some people, among which Parminder Nagra who I already mentioned, Anupam Kher, Ameet Chana and Juliet Stevenson, the acting skills of others were making me wonder how they could make a living as actors. Oh well, I suppose Keira Knightly has her looks and she shows off plenty of body parts to make the male audience drool (if they like near-anorectic girls). I gave her another chance with this movie after being impressed with the absence of any acting skills in Pirates, but this movie showed I was right in my judgment. Jonathan Rhys-Meyers' acting was as natural as banana bubblegum. He must have read his lines off some board! He would have fitted perfectly in 'Days of our Lives' the way he was overacting every feeling and gesture.

Anyway, this could have been an okay movie had the acting been better and had I not had these expectations. I can't believe this movie's rating is 7.4. I can't give more than 5 stars.