Bend It Like Beckham

Bend It Like Beckham follows Parminder Nagra’s Jess as she rebels against her strict parents and begins playing for a local football team, with the narrative also detailing Jess’ friendship with fellow player Jules (Keira Knightley) and also her budding relationship with hunky coach Joe (Jonathan Rhys Meyers). Filmmaker Gurinder Chadha has infused Bend It Like Beckham with a feel-good, uplifting feel that generally proves difficult to resist, with the movie’s generally watchable atmosphere perpetuated and heightened by a series of affable and deeply charismatic performances. (Nagra and Knightley are just about perfect in their respective roles, ultimately.) It’s equally clear, however, that the movie never quite manages to become the engrossing drama that Chadha has obviously intended, as the ongoing emphasis on decidedly hackneyed plot elements generally prevents the viewer from wholeheartedly connecting to the plight of the various characters. By the time the celebratory (yet curiously dispassionate) finale rolls around, Bend It Like Beckham has certainly cemented its place as a decent endeavor that could’ve been much worse (but also much better).

**1/2 out of ****