Connie and Carla Movie Review:


Broadway tunes and drag queens take center stage in “Connie and Carla,” a fun gender-bender musical co-starring Nia Vardalos and Toni Collette in the title roles. After witnessing a mob hit in Chicago, the two friends take their singing act to West Hollywood where they hide out as gay men in order to perform in a drag queen cabaret show. They become quite successful, and why not? Both women can really belt out such old favorites as “Cabaret,” “Oklahoma,” “Mame,” “Let Me Entertain You,” and “Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina.”

Because I’m an avid fan of musicals, it’s not surprising I wanted to sing along with Connie and Carla, just like so many of their adoring fans. What did surprise me was how well Vardalos performs in the musical numbers. I knew Collette (“The Sixth Sense”) could sing and dance because she won a Tony Award for “The Wild Party,” a 2002 Broadway musical, but my only knowledge of Vardalos came from her work in the smash comedy “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” (which, like Connie and Carla, she also wrote).

Yes, some parts of this movie do come across as too silly, especially the bickering and yelling between the co-stars as they drive across country a la “Thelma & Louise.” However, those scenes are mere fillers between the film’s enthusiastic musical routines. And, fortunately, I have a high silliness threshold for any flick with David Duchovny (“Return to Me”). He’s very moving here as a straight man trying to connect with his cross-dressing brother (Robert Spinella). Duchovny makes his character’s confusion over his feelings for Connie (Vardalos), who has fallen in love with him, seem quite genuine.

Other highlights of “Connie and Carla” include a wonderful cameo by Debbie Reynolds (“Singin’ in the Rain”) and an absolutely fabulous supporting turn by Boris McGiver (“Jesus’ Son”) in the role of Tibor, a mob henchman. Assigned to find the two women, Tibor must watch dinner theater productions in a host of cities. Gradually, he becomes more and more intrigued with musical comedy until finally, he can’t resist joining the audience in a rousing chorus of “Mame.” It’s the funniest running gag I’ve seen since the misadventures of that acorn-hiding creature in “Ice Age.” And what can I say about the legendary Reynolds? Simply that she makes a welcome (but too brief) appearance as her charming spangle-clad self.

Kudos to director Michael Lembeck (“The Santa Clause 2”) for understanding how important timing and pacing are to a good comedy. Also, props to the make-up and costume people who made the drag queens look so outrageously glamorous. And, most of all, thanks to Vardalos for writing such a humanistic script. I’m adding “Connie and Carla” to my list of favorite gender-bender musicals – it’s right up there with “Victor/Victoria” and “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.”

Betty Jo Tucker

After My Big Fat Greek Wedding, it's nice to see that Vardalos stuck to silly, likable comedy that plays on stereotypes--nothing demanding, just enough wackiness to keep us laughing. And there's a lot more for musical theatre fans!

Connie and Carla (Vardalos and Collette) have spent their life trying to entertain people with elaborate song and dance routines. While working in a Chicago airport lounge, they witness a mob hit and go on the run, hiding out as drag queens in a West Hollywood bar. And in pretending to be men dressing up as women, they finally find their audience! Meanwhile, a fellow drag queen (Spinella) is trying to reconcile with his brother (Duchovny), upon whom Connie immediately develops a crush. Then Carla's boyfriend (Mihok) and Connie's ex (Sandow) track them down ... with the mob boss (Burke) and his henchman (McGiver) right behind them.

The parallels with both Some Like It Hot and Victor/Victoria are obvious; Vardalos gleefully refers to both of these (and of course Yentl) while building a predictable farce. The romantic and crime subplots both feel like dead weight amid the otherwise enjoyable frivolity, which is a shame because Duchovny gives a nice turn in the film's most thankless role, and McGiver never gets the pay-off his character is clearly heading for. Performances are sharply delivered with wit and energy, and even some gently authentic emotion. Collette, as always, is far better than a fluffy film like this deserves, adding a level of grit and pathos even when she's saying something sublimely daft or wearing the most ludicrous wig the costume department could come up with.

But the film's real joy comes in its camp performance pieces, which outrageously poke fun at the guilty pleasures of musical theatre, right up to the show-stopping appearance of Connie and Carla's idol Debbie Reynolds. She's the incarnation of the film's cheery "let's put on a show" spirit. And this is why it's so much fun to watch--Connie and Carla are real people, genuinely funny and slightly flawed, women we can identify with immediately and root for right up to the goofy finale. You gotta love it.

Rich Cline

Site Contents Copyright© The Z Review, unless used with permission.This site has no intention to infringe on the rights of the film owners of Connie and Carla and intellectual copyright holders of the movies mentioned herein & hold copyright over the movie, characters, merchandise & storyline.