There are few films that embody the essence of British cinema from the early noughties as perfectly as *Bend It Like Beckham*. This feel-good sports comedy, released in 2002, was a worldwide success and also propelled one individual into the limelight.Keira Knightley, one of the UK's most famous film stars.
With a soundtrack bursting with Spice Girls and Britpop from the early 2000s, and Y2K fashion featuring low-slung jeans and athletic crop tops, Bend It Like Beckham perfectly captures the essence of noughties culture.Mobile phones were still quite new. David BeckhamHe was at the height of his popularity when women's football was barely entering the public consciousness. Now, over twenty years on, the film is reaching a fresh audience as it becomes available on Netflix.
READ MORE: A truly brilliant period drama, widely considered ‘one of the best on Netflix’.
READ MORE: A real 'tearjerker' of a film, featuring an Oscar-winning actor, is available on Netflix – viewers have plenty of time to watch it.
The film, based in West London, centres on Jesminder "Jess" Bhamra (Parminder Nagra), a young British-Indian woman. Her parents anticipate she will adhere to custom, prioritise her education, and get ready to be married.
Jess, however, is mad about football. After meeting Jules Paxton (played by a young Keira Knightley), she gets the chance to play for a women's team in the area.
Jess concocts intricate stories to keep her football matches a secret from her family, all while grappling with her burgeoning romantic feelings for Joe, her coach.
When the film was released in the UK, it unexpectedly became a massive hit at the cinema. Despite being produced on a relatively small budget, it eventually earned more than $76 million (£56 million) globally, establishing it as one of the most commercially successful British movies of the last ten years.
It was nominated for a Golden Globe in the category of Best Film (Musical or Comedy), and director Gurinder Chadha was praised for making a movie that was both broadly accessible and uniquely British-Asian.
According to Rotten Tomatoes' Critic Consensus, "Bend It Like Beckham" is an uplifting and endearing film that's both inspiring and compassionate, subtly weaving in social observations. Critics on the site give it an 85% rating, while audiences score it at 73%.
Bend It Like Beckham has, down the years, become something of a cult favourite, regularly cropping up in conversations about British multicultural films and how women are portrayed in sport. It was even turned into a West End musical in 2015.
Although Parminder Nagra shone as Jess, it was Keira Knightley's portrayal of Jules that launched her career. Knightley, only 16 when the cameras rolled, infused the character of the boyish best friend with both charm and assurance, as she dealt with her own issues with her mum and the stresses of being a teenager.
The film's international success put her firmly on Hollywood's radar, paving the way for her casting in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003).
"Really well made film, considering the small budget. Can see why it made nearly 15x that at the box office," one review reads on Rotten Tomatoes.
Someone else commented: "This is a timeless masterpiece that resonates deeply on multiple levels. You can watch it again and again."
"A wonderful feel good movie that celebrates the human spirit! The acting is superb and the pacing is perfect. One of my all time favourites," wrote a third.
Now streaming on Netflix, the film offers both a nostalgic trip for those who remember its original release and a chance for a new generation to discover the story.
Post a Comment