Movies about breaking the social mold could really be better than this.
The movie is about a young Asian girl in Britain who’s good at football, wants to play on the women’s team and the opposition to sports by her parents due to the myth that female athletes lack feminity.
It starts out with Jess (Parminder Nagra) being the tomboy and who unmindful of her pubescence, still plays football with boys. Keira Knightley who happens to be out for a run in the park notices her obvious talent and recommends that she join the football team.
Jess’s mother puts a ban on all her sporting activities, let alone playing for the women’s football team and tries to make her an ideal ’’Indian’’ wife, whatever that means.
There are some heart-breaking losses for the team, Jess’s romance with her coach who also happens to be her best friend’s boyfriend and the impact it has on their friendship make up most of the movie.
The moviemaker seems to be having a hang-up about Victorian age ideas, because if an Indian family would be so hesitant about sports for girls, we wouldn’t be having any female athletes, which is not true. Also she tries to address the racism in Britain and how it affected Jess’s father from following his ambitions of being a cricket player.
Finally coming to the title, just because England adores Beckham (who’s really an average player with a good right foot) doesn’t mean everybody knows about him. For instance if I were a Brazilian I would say it should be titled ’’Bend it like Roberto (Carlos)’’. Its like trying to sell Joe Montana to the Brits.
So any judicious filmmaker should refrain from adhering to local idols when trying to make movies which appeal on an international stage.