Connie and Carla do LA

[klee]

Anyone else seen this piece of feel-good fluff?

OK, it wasn't exactly going to set the world on fire, but didn't Toni Collette make a surprisingly effective drag queen? I think it might have had something to do with the lips.

The musical theatre references made me giggle, especially the Russian gangster who gets excited about "getting a ticket for Hairspray".

And Debbie Reynolds? Looking like a poster girl for www.awfulplasticsurgery.com, despite the film's avowed love your body message.

Of course I do realise it was probably a yawn fest for anyone who has not heard Mame.

[si]

Even though I am A Gay, I don't actually know that much about musical theatre... I could get from the songs were from but I didn't know the lyrics sorta thing.

It was... OK. I laughed at Who's seen Yentl? but to me the script seemed really underdeveloped. That Love Your Body speech came out of nowhere and noone put David Duchovney's fiancée in her place when she called them freaks. The ending with the gangsters didn't deliver either. It needed a little more development and a lot more bite.

[klee]

I'd agree with you on all those points. Especially the bit where Toni suddenly announces at the end that she loves their LA life even though she's been the doubting Thomas all along. The script probably got passed without enough development on the back of My Big Fat Greek Wedding's success.

They could have said 'Who's seen Victor / Victoria?' in that scene (which is a Julie Andrews musical also about a down on her luck singer who becomes a success after passing herself off as a drag queen. Furthermore, Julie gets her tits out in it - deeply disturbing stuff).

I think it was the repeated joke about the theme song from Mame that got me most. It put me in mind of the dire am dram I used to do and must have made me all nostalgic.

Still disappointed they didn't do One from A Chorus Line though.

[si]

One would've ruled. Didn't they do What I did for love? They could've chosen the songs a little better. Yes, they're classics but you've got to consider those audience members who won't know the more obscure numbers.

Didn't Nia Vwhatever get her own sit-com which bombed? My Big Fat Greek Life? I would've thought they'd be a little dubious and not just give her the benefit of the doubt after that.

Re: David's fiancée calling the drag queens freaks. There were many great moments where she could've delivered. Why didn't Carla have her big speech here (along the lines of Julie Walter's speech when her family turn on transvestite Dolly in Personal Services?) and not randomly on the stage and out of nowhere?

I enjoyed it though, don't get me wrong. Their vocals were awesome, the crowd's reaction wasn't overegged to cover up a poor performance. It was entertaining enough, but I wouldn't watch it again.

[klee]

Toni's vocals were definitely stronger than Nia. (For the record I don't think I like her. I read a review of the film in which it said she had the expression throughout of someone who didn't have a sense of humour of their own. This struck me too.)

At least they didn't sing Tomorrow, we have to thank our lucky stars for that. Loved the Hello Dolly bit. Jerry Herman musicals are always monstrously gay-friendly, but in a way that Middle America doesn't seem to mind. And why no I Am What I Am?

When all's said and done it was an ideologically timid film. Even Victor Victoria was more challenging, in that the gay men in it actually had sex lives and Julie Andrew's love object got together with her when s/he was still carrying on with the drag act.

[Danniiboy]

It was quite good, one man in the cinema I went to certanily loved it, I ended up laughing at him and his moronic laughter. Some of the script was a bit dodgy, I loved the bit when Carla was talking nineteen to the dozen in the car, after they had slept in it, when the coke burst all over the car. That was subtle.

Some of the gay characters were a bit stereotypical though, and I know nothing about musicals at all (Even though I'm a gayer) so recognised only a few of the tracks. I'd quite like to hear some stuff from musicals though. Anyone got any suggestions?

[klee]

I was just about to leap in there and say 'anything by Sondheim' but that might be jumping the gun. Some quintissential gay musical must-haves are as follows by composer: -

1. Jerry Herman

Mack and Mabel
Hello Dolly
Mame
La Cage aux Folles (the one with I Am What I Am in)

2. Kander & Ebb

Cabaret
Chicago (if you'd never heard either of these then you can't be a poof)
Kiss of the Spider Woman
The Rink

3. Stephen Sondheim

Follies
Sweeney Todd
A Little Night Music (these are some of his more straightforward works)

4. Leonard Bernstein

West Side Story
Wonderful Town

5. Leslie Bricusse

Sherlock Holmes
Scrooge (they're both awful but in a hi-larious I can't believe he rhymed that with that kind of way)

[zaffra]

I really want to go and see this, for the simple reason that Toni Collette is a genius.

I also really wanted to see 'Japaneese Story' (not sure if it's still on) which looked ace.

But in my mind she will forever be Muriel