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Carla's Song

Play trailer Poster for Carla's Song Released Sep 20, 1996 2h 7m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
88% Tomatometer 8 Reviews 80% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
A Glasgow man (Robert Carlyle) visits war-torn Nicaragua with a refugee (Oyanka Cabezas) tormented by her memories.

Critics Reviews

View All (8) Critics Reviews
Rob Aldam Backseat Mafia ...but Carla's story allows the viewer to witness a microcosm of a (then) countrywide issue. Apr 23, 2021 Full Review PJ Nabarro Patrick Nabarro Oyanka Cabezas is an absolute revelation as Carla: unbelievably subdued and melancholic in Glasgow, yet she comes alive with vivacity and passion on arriving in Nicaragua. Rated: 4/5 Oct 31, 2019 Full Review Maria Garcia Film Journal International An extraordinary illustration of the power of the cinematic art form. Jan 5, 2007 Full Review Cole Smithey ColeSmithey.com Rated: 4/5 Nov 7, 2005 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Rated: 3/5 Jul 7, 2005 Full Review Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat Spirituality & Practice A striking and memorable film about the emotional firefights that flare up when the personal and the political are linked. Mar 3, 2002 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (50) audience reviews
Audience Member Very intelligent movie. Carlyle's best ever performance when not in nutter mode. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/22/23 Full Review Audience Member 18/03/16 a Scotsman falls in love with a Nicaraguan refugee and returns home with her to the violence and devastation of her country's civil war Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/12/23 Full Review Audience Member Robert Carlisle and Oyanka Cabezas work magic in this sad and funny film, what with the big London bus and the war scenes along with the humour brought in regularly, Carla's Song is a must for all Ken Loach followers. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Audience Member A great movie from political director Ken Loach. Half fiction and half documentary, shows in a discrete manner the situation in Nicaragua in late '80s, through the three heroes, Robert Carlyle as the Scot bus driver, Oyanka Cabezas as Carla the Nicaraguan refugee and Scott Glenn as the x-CIA American activist. All performances are superb. Robert Carlyle who does his debut with this one along with Trainspotting same year, and now considered one of the most promising British actors, shows a great transition from having the power to completely loosing it over the course of their journey to Nicaragua, till he finally changes and accepts it. And all this in a very subtle way. Oyanka Cabezas's performance is also unique even though she is non an actress and this is the only movie she ever played in. She is completely the opposite. She starts as totally helpless, even attempts to commit suicide, to finally become healed, stronger, and stay there to continue the revolution. Scott Glenn's character is the deeper and most complicated one and Glenn handles that extremely well. He is angry to what he has done and he punishes himself. When he meets George, another western person, he targets his anger towards him to realize in the end that he is not the enemy but a friend and to make up with him and maybe with himself. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/15/23 Full Review Audience Member Poetic story of a relationship against the backdrop of the Nicaraguan revolution. There's plenty of familiar Ken Loach traits in the direction, but while this one is interesting, it is not exhilarating. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Audience Member Fantastic movie! Carlyle is brilliant, as usual! Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Carla's Song

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis A Glasgow man (Robert Carlyle) visits war-torn Nicaragua with a refugee (Oyanka Cabezas) tormented by her memories.
Director
Ken Loach
Producer
Sally Hibbin
Screenwriter
Paul Laverty
Distributor
Shadow Distribution
Production Co
Tornasol Films S.A.
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 20, 1996, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 30, 2020
Box Office (Gross USA)
$18.4K
Runtime
2h 7m
Sound Mix
Surround, Dolby