Bend it like Beckham plays on the superstardom of English football star David Beckham.
Soccer the beautiful game. But like any endeavor, it can encompass the good, the bad, and the ugly. Or at least movies about soccer can, engaging with themes of race and gender, ego, hubris, economics, politics, fandom, the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat - as well as, of course, unadulterated athleticism. If the game has captured your imagination and you want continued programming when World Cup games aren’t on, it might be time to turn to cinema. Here are 12 soccer movies worth revisiting for the laughs, life lessons and fancy footwork they contain.
Parminder Nagra shines as Jess, an 18-year-old London soccer whiz who bristles under the social restrictions of her conservative Sikh immigrant parents in this 2002 BAFTA-nominated charmer. With its infectious soundtrack, ranging from early-aughts Brit-pop to Bhangra, it’s a buoyant sports rom-com: Jess and her soccer teammate (Keira Knightley) both like their coach (a dreamy Jonathan Rhys Meyers). But the story manages to work in threads of sexism, racism and cultural assimilation, as well, without ever losing its deft yet naturalistic control of the narrative ball. PG-13. 112 minutes.
