Susan Granger’s review of “Connie and Carla” (Universal Pictures)
Second-acts are difficult – as screenwriter/actress Nia Vardalos is discovering after her low-budget “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” mega-success. In creating this sweet-natured, campy comedy, she was obviously inspired by “Some Like It Hot” and “Victor/Victoria.” Childhood chums Connie (Nia Vardalos) and Carla (Toni Collette) are airport lounge singers who go on-the-run after accidentally witnessing a murder at a Chicago dinner theater. Mobsters are after them, so they go into hiding, pretending to be drag queens at a West Hollywood gay bar. As undercover Belles of the Balls transvestites, they’re a hoot, finding an appreciative audience for their bizarre fashions sense, big hair and overdone make-up. Of course, pretending to be men passing as women puts a crimp in their social life, particularly in Connie’s flirtation with a fellow performer’s (Stephen Spinella) straight brother (an obviously embarrassed David Duchovny). Under veteran TV director Michael Lembeck, the kitschy gender-bender concept has some crowd-pleasing numbers. “Chin up! Boobs out! It’s show time!” So you can’t help smiling as the hammy drag queens parade in soap-bubble wigs, warbling “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair.” And when M.G.M. singing/dancing star Debbie Reynolds (“Singin’ in the Rain”) arrives on the scene, she becomes an integral part of the musical finale. Under the surface, there’s still some obvious discomfort in dealing with sexual role-playing. In addition, the writing is uneven and the dialogue is often repetitive. “Your voice is giving me the shingles” is reprised as “Your voice is giving me mono.” On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Connie and Carla” is a brassy, shrill, silly 6. But if you’re a sucker for show tunes, you’ll have a good time.
