Bend It Like Beckham

REVIEW
Even for American audiences unacquainted with soccer or the absurdly popular player David Beckham (who is idolized by our heroine, along with about a billion others worldwide), this delightful coming-of-age comedy will be impossible to resist. Which is strange, since everything within is utterly familiar: overcoming obstacles on and off the field on the way to "the big game," growing pains and young loves, and problems with kids understanding parents (and vice-versa). Nagra is absorbing in the lead, dreaming of playing soccer professionally (in a country without a proper women's league) while under the thumb of her traditional Indian parents who would rather see her a good cook than an outstanding athelete. She's taken under the wing of the bubbly Knightley (which leads to a comical case of lesbian mistaken identity) and her dreamy coach, Rhys-Meyers (chaste tension ensues). You'd think the formula had never been done before, and actually, it feels that way when watching. The charismatic performers weave quite a spell, while the novelty of a soccer film seemingly reinvents the clichés. The most remarkable asset is the refreshingly two-sided exploration of the conservative parents, rebellious kids and their cultural assimilation: Mom can be just as happy with her tradition as her daughter can be in English culture. Beckham appears in a cameo.