Bend It Like Beckham

This is what romantic comedies should be. It’s certainly not deep, nor does it represent a great cinematic achievement, but for pure entertainment value, Bend It’s tale of a Sikh girl living in England who wants to play soccer can’t be beat. Parminder Nagra, who you’ll no doubt remember for her portrayal of Sunita Verma in A & E, plays Jessie, whose parents are not happy with her decidedly un-Indian ways. While they prepare for their older daughter’s wedding, young Jess is off with her white friends kicking a ball around and displaying her bare legs and athletic prowess to the English countryside. Naughty and cheeky! But also fun and funny and a bit teary, with the emotions and the feelings and the sentiments. Imagine an American teen film that didn’t suck, and you’d basically have Bend It Like Beckham.