BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM

Director: Gurinder Chadha (What's Cooking, smaller films, UK TV work)
Starring: Parminder Nagra, Keira Knightley, Jonathan Rys-Meyers

This is 2003's BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING - a fun, low-budget, independent film that ran forever, garnering good reviews and better box-office. I liked Greek Wedding, but I like this movie better. It's the story of an ABCD girl (American-Born Confused Desi) in greater London (so I guess that would be an English-Born Confused Desi in this case) struggling to fulfill her dream to play soccer in the face of her family's traditional Indian conservatism. It's a light story that manages to touch issues like gender expectations in western and eastern societies, as well as more standard fare like young love. It does all of this with a delightful and fun touch and was generally a pleasure to watch. I don't have a lot more than this to add. It's entertaining, enjoyable, enlightening in a sweet, simple sort of way - a good picture that's hard to complain about.
Standouts: Light, fun tone, solid acting, solid story.
Blowouts: Not much. It's a very enjoyable picture.

Grade: A-