The film also features the most perfect club scene known to man, in which Knightley rocks a truly fabulous flimsy triangle crop top . It’s actually a little jarring to see her wearing such modern clothing — wherefore art thou corset? The actress has said that she avoids films set in modern day because “the female characters nearly always get raped. ” But it’s no coincidence. Bend It Like Beckham is strikingly modern in its treatment of its female protagonists. Yes, there is a brief love triangle moment when Jules walks in on Jess and Joe on the brink of an embrace. But never does that come before their love of the sport they’ve devoted their lives to, nor is there any question of Jess picking Joe over her family. Likewise, Jules’ mum’s belief that her daughter is a lesbian isn’t so much played for laughs as it is to prove a point about how we perceive women who refuse to conform to preconceived notions about womanhood.