This is a truly great film. Jesminder (Parminder Nagra) is preparing to go to university to become a solicitor but her true love is football (aka soccer) which is simply not allowed but she soon receives an offer, nevertheless to play on a girl's team when she is discovered by Jules Paxton (a very young Keira Knightley) and so she joins, without her parents' knowledge.
The plot thickens as Jess's sister, Pinky (Archie Panjabi, we never learn her real name is engaged) is engaged to a man called Teet (Khuvinder Ghir; that name is enough of a turn-off) but the engagement is called off by his parents when they misinterpret Jess's friendship with Jules as a sexual one, Jules's mother, Paul (Juliet Stevenson) believes the same thing. The Bharmas (Anupam Kher and Shaheen Khan) are furious and no amount of pleading from her coach, Joe (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) can change their minds. Fortunately, at least Jess's best friend and closeted homosexual Tony (Ameet Chana) has her back and comes to her games.
Things go from bad to worse as Jess falls in love with her coach and Jules is livid as she was nursing her own crush and they have a very large argument about the whole thing. But then the wedding between Pinky and Teet is back on but the only day they could schedule the hall is the same day as Jess's big football final with a scout coming all the way from America.
Fortunately, her father lets her go as it appears that she is at her father's funeral instead of her sister's wedding and it is a good call. Jess gets the opportunity of a lifetime, an American scholarship to pay and have a chance to go pro. And even more fortunate, her family is behind her and Joe is thrilled, but she doesn't want to chance it so they don't kiss until right before she leaves for America. Why do kisses actually mean something in Hollywood films? They mean nothing in real life, that's for sure.
Okay, enough venting. In this case, it appears that Joe and Jess are making things work long distance as Joe does get closer to her family at the end of the film and Jess is doing what she loves without any regrets.
Now, I could nitpick this film to death and am thankful that there was that rule in place that coaches can't date their players, though naturally, I was rooting for them to end up together in the end. But it is also unfair that Jess missed all those practices leading up to the final game but was still allowed to play, would that still happen in real life? I doubt it.
That being said, the film is still excellent with a fresh take on a tried-and-true plot with excellent performances all around, interesting editing (good juxtaposition) and great music. It is just a shame that Nagra didn't become a bigger star after this amazing performance. Grade: B+
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