Carla (2003)

Too much of everything

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

The creator of Waking the Dead Barbara Machin created the screenplay for this drama, based closely on Joanna Hines's novel 'Improvising Carla.'Helen has arrived in Greece, holidaying alone, whilst waiting for her luggage she briefly meets Carla, another British girl travelling solo. The pair go their separate ways, but another chance meeting draws them together, Helen prevents a group of youngsters stealing Carla's bag. The incident brings the two closer, Carla proves to be very wild and full of stories, the total opposite of the more gentle and refined Helen, Helen soon realises she's bitten off more then she can chew befriending Carla. The two share personal stories, Carla's stories seem totally made up and just for effect. Carla tells Helen a very dark story, she'd been raped. The two meet two men, both like the same one, but he chooses Helen, after the two run out on the men an altercation happens between them, Carla is killed, and Helen wakes up next to her clutching a blood stained rock. Not suspected of any involvement Helen heads home, but an anonymous phone call calls her a murderer. Helen starts going out of her mind and starts to move into Carla's life, she realises that lots of Carla's stories were true. Slowly a guilt ridden Helen begins piecing together the events of Carla's death.It's a clever story that keeps you guessing and wondering right until the very end, the ending is a real shocker too.A truly excellent cast, Iain Glen, Lesley Sharp, Shaun Dingwall, Michael Fassbender, but the star of the show undoubtedly is Helen McCrory who plays the title role. She is an outstanding talent, and a very beautiful woman. She got me hooked when she played Anna Karenina.It's a brilliant drama, so well acted, but the story is so good too, it's highly original. The fight scene between Helen and Carla is brilliant, and Helen's realisation of what she's done is so good. I cannot believe this was never commercially released, and that there is so little interest in it. A tragedy, but A Gem 10/10

Sought out this film for an Ian Glen performance. Could not stomach it even to get to his scenes. I am just sorry that such a good and interesting actor as Iain Glen has not been better taken up in film, with better parts. He is such a distinctive character, sensitive and having strength as well. This movie is just a mass of confusion and his contribution to it surely did not enhance his career. I credited his performance in Downton Abbey, Wives and Daughters and a smattering here and there. Sorry for him that he had to be involved with this turkey. He seems to have done well in "Thrones," a television vehicle. The lead female character here (not Carla herself) is a cow, unsympathetic and unattractive. Surely a low budget vehicle. Avoid.