Connie And Carla

From the Chicago Reader (April 16, 2004). — J.R.

The title leads — screenwriter Nia Vardalos, star of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and Toni Collette — are lifelong best friends and semiskilled lounge singers who accidentally witness a Russian mob killing. They flee for their lives to LA, where they disguise themselves as drag queens and become a hit at a gay cabaret. The script, which borrows plenty from Some Like It Hot, Ishtar, and maybe even Sylvia Scarlett, is more slapdash than its sources, but it’s full of high spirits and good vibes. The secondary cast — including David Duchovny and Debbie Reynolds, camping even more than the leads — also seems to be having fun. Michael Lembeck directed. PG-13, 98 min. (JR) Read more