Bend it Like Beckham

What Sarah said:

I really liked this. A funny, feel good movie that isn’t deep or complex. The music stands out as a lasting memory that I have of this movie. Yes the story is predicable and not new but it’s done well. Even though I’m not a fan of Keira Knightley and especially of her character in this I still really enjoyed it.

(After re-watching this film, Sarah rescinded the entire recommendation which had been based on recollections of a past self. But I had to watch it, so it’s getting reviewed anyway.)

Mike’s verdict:

Bend It Like Beckham is so much the stereotypical coming of age story, that it is basically every possible coming of age story all at once. In less than two hours, the film attempts to incorporate:

• middle-class “hardship”,
• “wasted” physical talent,
• jealousy,
• strict immigrant parents,
• a clueless soccer-mom,
• an ineffectual father,
• ruining a sibling’s wedding and then saving it,
• unreasonable cultural expectations,
• unreasonable gender expectations,
• blatant homophobia,
• blatant sexism,
• blatant racism,
• depression,
• embarrassment about physical deformity,
• an unhealthy obsession with a celebrity,
• an inappropriate relationship with a coach, and
• declining university education to follow “the dream”… in California.

There are some real issues in that list; issues that real people face everyday. And, for certain, in life those issues often do become intertwined. But life isn’t a story told in two hours. Life has nuance, surprises and – crucially – unexpected consequences. Bend It Like Beckham has none of that.

One could argue that the film is merely attempting to highlight the existence of issues faced by young adults as they try to find their place in the world. Unfortunately, Bend It Like Beckham brings nothing of value to the actual discussion of those issues. Instead they are all treated as trite clichés – sprinkled like colourful confections on a social commentary cupcake. The film expects its audience to recognize the characters’ struggles, feel some sympathy, and then walk away happy to have had a sweet treat.

But the happy ending is probably the most infuriating aspect. Since none of the issues are ever properly developed, it would be extremely generous to suggest that they are “resolved”. Yet, in the end the audience is still left with the notion that everything has magically worked out. The central conflict of this film is that a young woman with an immense talent, that has gone completely unnoticed by her family, is being unfairly held back from the fairy-tale life she could have. Once that singular issue is solved – when her parents finally see how well she can kick a soccer ball – all other concerns are set aside. The underlying lesson is that society has a lot of problems, but you can ignore them if you have a special talent for something that other people care about; especially if that talent lets you physically escape to another country.

The film would have been better if Jess had just enjoyed soccer as a past-time but wasn’t particularly good at it. The plot would be essentially the same, but with a depressing ending that would more accurately reflect the life of someone facing so many social barriers. At least that would have left the audience with something to think about.

0/10