In honor of the 2003 World Cup, this week I'll be taking a break from our usual martial arts action flicks to review the delightful BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM. For those of you who don't follow football (soccer to us Americans), this UK film derives its title from the wicked curving kicks of superstar David Beckham. His uncanny ability to bend the ball around opponents, goalkeepers, and goalposts is the metaphor for Bend It's message - sometimes you've just gotta bend the rules if they're holding you back.

Our heroine Jess would rather sport trackies and play football with the boys in the park than cook aloo gobi and ogle the boys in the park. Her big chance comes when she is asked to join an organized women's football team. And that's when the cultural conflicts snowball. According to Jess's traditional parents, "Indian girls aren't supposed to play football."

There have been a lot of cultural angst films - both comedic and dramatic - that have tackled (pun intended) the same subject matter. But few have been this fun, and the soccer angle gives it a little, well, kick. It's nice that while Jess's story is central to the film, the other characters all have their own obstacles, too. Teammate Jules has to contend with her mum's traditional views of ladylike behavior. Best mate Tony's got a secret. Coach Joe can't live up to his father's expectations. Everyone feels like they're on the outside in some way - whether it's because they're Irish or Indian or just because they play football. Everyone's got some bending to do. Except, of course, Jess's sister Pinky, who wants nothing more than to be married to a nice Indian boy.

BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM has a really wonderful cast - newcomer Parminder Nagra as Jess, Keira Knightley as Jules, and hottie Jonathon Rhys Meyers as Joe (I don't recall any of our coaches looking like this!). There's also some great comedic input from Juliet Stevenson. 

And, damn, if this isn't one of the best pop soundtracks I've heard in a long time. Let me make this clear - I despise pop songs in my movies. But no soppy, meandering "WB" chick crap here. This puppy moves - Indian-flavored techno tunes mixed in with Blondie and Tom Jones. What more could I ask for?

Okay, now for the complaints. Just two. One, maybe my attention span just isn't what it used to be, but this film is a wee bit long at 112 minutes. It's not so much the time, but there are a couple of recurring plotlines and gags that are a bit over used. 

Two, while she is great as Jules, Keira Knightley is just too damn skinny to be rumbling on the pitch. If you look at Jess and Jules's teammates, all real footballers by the way, you'll notice none of them are built like Knightley. In an actual football match, she'd snap like, uh, Twiggy. It's rough out there - did anyone see the U.S. versus Nigeria?! To tell young girls that thin - I mean really thin - is in and then give them the idea that they should be able to perform athletically at that weight without complications - well, that's just bollocks. This is how we end up with things like the Female Athlete Triad - osteoporosis, out-of-whack-hormones, and disordered eating.

Okay, off my soapbox for today. I'm really only quibbling now. This is a truly wonderful film with a great message for anyone - not just girls who want to play ball. "Don't you want all of this?" Pinky asks Jess on her wedding day. "I want more" is the reply. BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM's director and co-writer Gurinder Chadha tells us it's okay to want more. Sometimes you just have to bend rules and traditions a little to get it.

Bend It Like Beckham
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