Bend It Like Beckham Critic Reviews

The most exhilarating movie so far this year. It's made up of many familiar elements -- think ''Monsoon Wedding'' meets ''My Beautiful Laundrette'' meets ''Personal Best'' -- yet before long, you catch on to how buoyant and funny and original it is. Read the full review

I saw more important films at Sundance 2003, but none more purely enjoyable than Bend It Like Beckham, which is just about perfect as a teenage coming-of-age comedy.Read the full review

The juxtaposition between the fast-paced plays on the soccer field and the color-drenched, music-infused wedding party is a highlight of this captivating film.Read the full review

You seldom leave a theater walking on air, much less float all through a movie. But the joyous Bend It Like Beckham never lets you down. Read the full review

Smart, lively and altogether warmhearted dramatic comedy. Read the full review

There's a great sense of fun in the cultural collision between Indian and British lifestyles -- often within the same person. Read the full review

I'm still smiling as I recall Jess, the soccer star-to-be, standing behind her straitlaced mother in the kitchen and casually bouncing a head of lettuce on her knee. Read the full review

The film's most natural appeal is to adolescent athletes -- in particular, cleat-wearing young ladies who will bask in its hard-won girl-power message. This is a movie with bruised shins and a huge heart. Read the full review

Writer-director Gurinder Chadha juggles all the angles with flair and fairness. Like Nagra and Knightley, the movie is a sweetheart.Read the full review