Poor Fanny Brice. She just didn't seem to have good luck with husbands. First Nick Arnstein lands in jail. And then she ends up with Billy Rose, which is what Funny Lady concerns itself with.
As it starts out, it's the Depression. The heydays of Ziegfeld's Follies are gone. And single mother Fanny Brice (Barbra Streisand) is having trouble finding places to perform. After more than a few disasters, she finds herself on the bill at Billy Rose's (James Caan) nightclub. Not having been asked to perform there, she is understandably incensed, but when she meets Rose, sparks of a different kind fly, and she does need the work, after all. Eventually, the two fall in love and marry. But marriage is never smooth sailing for Fanny, who's still battling her demons from her years with Nick Arnstein (Omar Sharif). Can she overcome them, and once and for all let go of Nick before she drives Billy away?
This was a good movie, no question about it. It just doesn't quite have the deftness of touch that Funny Girl had. Still, you route for Fanny all the way along as she tries to free herself from her obsession with Nick Arnstein. Along the way, you get some wonderful singing and dancing, especially in the song "How Lucky Can You Get", which starts out as a simple statement, but by the end drips with irony. And you do want to cheer for Fanny when she finally tells Nick off for good, but it turns out to be a Pyrrhic victory. Nonetheless, Fanny still reacts with grace, class, and above all, wit, to what life throws at her.
The acting was a mixed bag. Streisand is wonderful, of course. Fanny Brice is a part she was born to play. Sharif is still somewhat stilted, but since he carries less of the movie, it's less of a problem, and actually works well, when Fanny finally realizes how self absorbed Nick is. The main disappointment is James Caan, who is his usual wooden self. While this occasionally works for Billy Rose, for the most part, Caan's reading-off-the-teleprompter delivery just doesn't give you a sense of why Fanny, or any woman for that matter, would find him attractive. Fortunately, Streisand carries the film just fine.
It's a fun movie, nonetheless, and it is a delight to see Fanny Brice finally claim her own self. No, it's not as good as Funny Girl, but it's still very good.
As it starts out, it's the Depression. The heydays of Ziegfeld's Follies are gone. And single mother Fanny Brice (Barbra Streisand) is having trouble finding places to perform. After more than a few disasters, she finds herself on the bill at Billy Rose's (James Caan) nightclub. Not having been asked to perform there, she is understandably incensed, but when she meets Rose, sparks of a different kind fly, and she does need the work, after all. Eventually, the two fall in love and marry. But marriage is never smooth sailing for Fanny, who's still battling her demons from her years with Nick Arnstein (Omar Sharif). Can she overcome them, and once and for all let go of Nick before she drives Billy away?
This was a good movie, no question about it. It just doesn't quite have the deftness of touch that Funny Girl had. Still, you route for Fanny all the way along as she tries to free herself from her obsession with Nick Arnstein. Along the way, you get some wonderful singing and dancing, especially in the song "How Lucky Can You Get", which starts out as a simple statement, but by the end drips with irony. And you do want to cheer for Fanny when she finally tells Nick off for good, but it turns out to be a Pyrrhic victory. Nonetheless, Fanny still reacts with grace, class, and above all, wit, to what life throws at her.
The acting was a mixed bag. Streisand is wonderful, of course. Fanny Brice is a part she was born to play. Sharif is still somewhat stilted, but since he carries less of the movie, it's less of a problem, and actually works well, when Fanny finally realizes how self absorbed Nick is. The main disappointment is James Caan, who is his usual wooden self. While this occasionally works for Billy Rose, for the most part, Caan's reading-off-the-teleprompter delivery just doesn't give you a sense of why Fanny, or any woman for that matter, would find him attractive. Fortunately, Streisand carries the film just fine.
It's a fun movie, nonetheless, and it is a delight to see Fanny Brice finally claim her own self. No, it's not as good as Funny Girl, but it's still very good.