Year: 2004
Running Time: 108 minutes
Firstly, I will watch anything starring Toni Collette. She was brilliant in her breakout role as Muriel Heslop in the 1994 comedy, Muriel's Wedding. But since then she has shone in several roles, from comedy (Little Miss Sunshine) and animation (the voice of Lady Cynthia Portley-Rind in Boxtrolls) to horror (Hereditary) and drama (the TV series Hostages) and everything in between. So while Connie and Carla is not the best comedy (and the drag queens that appear in it aren't nearly as shady enough as the their contemporaries), the movie is worth watching for Toni Collette, her musical numbers with Nia Vardalos (from My Big Fat Greek Wedding), a very young David Duchovny (albeit in unflattering khakis) and a cameo by Debbie Reynolds.
The film starts with a brief flashback to a young Connie and Carla, who have dreams of being "huge", performing a number from Oklahoma at their school. Flash forward to the women as adults, performing show tunes at an almost empty airport lounge. They are also dating two deadbeats: Nick Sandow aka Mr Kaputo from Orange is the New Black and Dash Mihok aka Benvolio from Romeo and Juliet. When Connie's bf, Mikey, asks her why shy can't be normal, her response is: "I only have one life...I want it to be a happy one."
Unbeknownst to the women, their boss, Frank, is involved with some bad people and hides a kilogram of cocaine in Connie's bag. Connie and Carla witness Frank's murder and they have to flee from the thugs, who know their names. They decide to head to a place where they won't be found, somewhere with "no dinner theatre" and "no culture" so they drive to Los Angeles.
Down on their luck, they decide to drown their sorrows at The Handle Bar, which turns out to be a gay bar with drag performances. And the bar just happens to be holding auditions for a new act. Connie comes up with the idea of posing as drag queens as a way for them to get the gig while simultaneously remaining under cover. Their rendition of Maybe This Time gets the audience's attention (especially once they realise the "queens" are not lip syncing) and earns them a standing ovation - and the job.
As Connie and Carla become more successful, the other queens at the bar want in on the act, especially Robert, the bartender. He also reconnects with his brother, Jeff, played by David Duchovny. Things get more complicated when Connie falls for Jeff but she can't blow their cover and must resist her feelings. Unfortunately her resistance crumbles and she ends up kissing Jeff and freaking him out. Meanwhile, the thugs are closing in on their whereabouts.
As I said, the film is not going to have you in stitches, the jokes are way too tame and the physical comedy is a little over-the-top (like Connie repeatedly running into Jeff, knocking both of them off their feet). But, it's a fun, campy ride with plenty of familiar tunes to sing along with and Nia and Toni are splendid in their respective roles. Right now, a predictable fun ride is all I'm looking for when it comes to entertainment so the movie is a great way to lift your spirits after another downer of a day.
Comments
Post a Comment