Review of Connie and Carla (2004) by Christine S — 24 Apr 2010

Two struggling showgirls (Nia Vardalos and Toni Collette) witness a murder and flee for their lives to West Hollywood where they hide out, finding work as a double act at a local gay bar. The catch - everyone believes they're a couple of guys in drag! Having to keep their cover intact at all cost they make friends, find fame, fortune, and in Nia Vardalos' case love - a touch awkward considering her assumed identity ("Just my luck, I find the guy of my dreams and he's straight!") - and generally change peoples lives for the better.

Eventually however the bad guys find them, there's a little agro, the cops arrive, the bad guys are arrested, the girls reveal who they really are, huge ovation, everybody loves them and they live happily ever after (oh, and a belated *spoiler alert* for the four people on the planet who didn't see that coming).

If you've seen the likes of Priscilla, To Wong Foo, Sister Act and Victor Victoria you know exactly what you're going to get from Connie and Carla. It certainly doesn't do anything new and original, instead relying on tried and tested cliches and cloying sentimentality.

However, take it at face value and it's a fun movie to watch with amusing characters, good performances and a strong feelgood factor.