Bend It Like Beckham

Starring Parminder Nagra, Keira Knightley, and Jonathan Rhys Meyers

Jess has played football (soccer) her whole life, and she's really good. She's been just one of the guys in the pickup games in the park, only a little bit better. Just as she discovers that there are organized teams for girls, her ultra-traditional parents put the kibosh on the activity, claiming that it's not ladylike. But it's not easy to give it up when you can bend a ball like Beckham!

This is one of my favorite chick flicks. Not since 1992's Ladybugs did I enjoy a movie about girls playing soccer so much. The movie is funny and touching. It's also interesting to watch a movie that so closely followed the household lives of a family from another culture. It's also a highly quotable movie.

As I said in my review of Pirates of the Caribbean, Keira Knightley is pretty, and the other actors were pretty good too.

The soundtrack for Bend It Like Beckham is fantastic! I highly recommend picking it up.

This is very possibly my favorite movie in the world. The humor, relationships and excitement in it make it addictive to me. I knew within ten minutes of starting it that I would need to own it.

And oh, the ENERGY! There's not a weak moment! I went out and bought a soccer ball after I saw it. I swore that I could be as passionate as Keira Knightley and as adorable as Parminder Nagra if I could just learn to bend it. Alas, I'm beginning to fear that it will never come to pass.

But that's okay! Because I have this movie to suck me in and anesthesize the pain.

The final scenes where Jess' playing is juxtaposed with her sister's wedding reception are probably my favorites in any movie of all time. There's such a joy, and it's edited so wonderfully that I'm getting goosebumps just thinking about it. And yes, the soundtrack plays a key role in that scene as in most others.

I know I've been a little bit obsessive about this movie, and have been told on one occasion that it's not as great as I think it is. I say to that person - and anyone else that hassles me about it - POO ON YOU! And to everyone else, WATCH IT! And invite me over to watch it with you!