Kick It Like Beckham (2002)

Kick It Like Beckham: Directed by Gurinder Chadha. With Parminder Nagra, Keira Knightley, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Anupam Kher. Two ambitious girls, despite their parents’ wishes, have their hearts set on careers in professional soccer.

“My scalp still smarts from the burning coals heaped on it when I vowed I love this film. Bring on the coals; Iu0026#39;ll walk over them as well to say again that I love u0026quot;Bend it Like Beckham.u0026quot; Granted, thereu0026#39;s a lot of u0026quot;in spite ofu0026quot; in that confession. Itu0026#39;s a bit movie-of-the-week; the screenplay is on the paint-by-numbers side. And, most troublingly, the directoru0026#39;s commentary implies that in this film beauty can be found primarily amongst the white of skin.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe filmu0026#39;s genius is not in whatu0026#39;s obvious to the Syd Field-doctored eye: character arcs, themes, construction. Itu0026#39;s in both the surface and what lurks deep beneath, but not in those layers of artistic topsoil that reviewers seem most often to scratch at. Powerful, sometimes semi-clad female bodies not simply on display but kicking the crap out of a football do a better job of naturalizing female strength and agility than Lara Croft or Zhang Ziyi will ever do. These are real bodies (Keira Knightleyu0026#39;s excepted) whose work is not to look great first and kick butt later. They are working bodies whose beauty is in their movement and self-determination. And, in my book, lead actress Parminder Nagra is one of the most gorgeous creatures ever captured on screen – not only because she can lay claim to that hackneyed adjective, u0026quot;luminous,u0026quot; but because her performance has an honesty and un-bookish intelligence thatu0026#39;s utterly compelling.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe result is a film women can enjoy without feeling like theyu0026#39;re making a pact with the devil to do so. As in Chadhau0026#39;s u0026quot;Bride and Prejudice,u0026quot; the relationships amongst women sizzle with a chemistry that canu0026#39;t be neatly slotted into the stodgy, Sweet Valley High categories of u0026quot;best friendsu0026quot; or u0026quot;sisters.u0026quot; Perhaps Chadha is even right in her commentary to disavow the filmu0026#39;s flirtation with lesbianism. u0026quot;Bend it Like Beckhamu0026quot; has an electricity that canu0026#39;t be reduced to the simple hetero/homosexual love triangle its conventionally structured script would suggest. The precise nature of its pleasure is, ultimately, a bit of a mystery – and is all the more seductive for it.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eOh yes, and did I mention that itu0026#39;s hilarious?”