"Bend It Like Beckham" is about Jesminder, played by Parminder Nagra (Ella Enchanted), as she is found playing soccer in the park with a group of boys and asked to try out for a semi pro girls' club. She makes the team and befriends Juliette, played by Kiera Knightly (King Arthur), and they become very close to where parents and friends of parents begin to question their relationship.

At home with her Indian family, Jesminder 's sister is getting married to a boy higher on the class scale than she. Somehow, anything Jesminder does as an embarrassment has the possibility of ruining the engagement, especially "running around half naked in front of everyone" playing soccer, as her mother puts it.

Lastly, Jesminder has an Irish coach, also a washed up player with daddy issues, of whom her friend is infatuated with; however, Jesminder and the coach fall for each other, putting a strain on her and Juliette's friendship.

I loved how director Gurinder Chadha (Bride and Prejudice) was able to create Jesminder's Indian culture and background a character itself. The girl was torn, not completely happy playing soccer if she had to lie to her parents about doing so.

I thought the conflict created from Jesminder and Juliette's relationship was very subtle and where it needed to be. Some thought Jesminder was dating an English boy, which was a big no-no in Jesminder's house, while others thought they were lesbians.

I thought the girls Gurinder got to play soccer and do all sorts of footwork and tricks were awesome. When we first meet the semi pro team, we are given the quick montage to show how talented they are, and how Jesminder may not measure up. That montage was awesome.

The performances in the picture were very thoughtful; however, everyone's English accents were extremely think. They all sounded like Scary Spice from the Spice Girls. At one point, I had to put on the subtitles to understand everyone.

The only thing I didn't like about the story was the love triangle--of sorts--in the subplot. I thought THAT part of the movie was very done before and predictable, but as a female friend pointed out, having been a teenage girl, stuff like that happens all the time between girlfriends. I don't question the subplot's believability, just that we the audience can see what was coming a mile ahead.

Along those lines, this picture is pretty much a chick flick, simply because it is very empowering to women, and Jesminder's home concerns aren't ones which an Indian male must endure. It's an Indian girl's story for sure.

Overall, I really enjoyed this movie, and I will be looking to add it to my DVD collection. I think a lot of people will enjoy this picture, but make sure when you rent it, you put the subtitles on.