Ill Never See Him Again Funny Girl
Not bad but something's missing
Okay sequel to the wonderful Funny Girl is missing several key ingredients that hold it back from the level of the first film. The most important would seem to be director William Wyler, who kept the first film moving even at an extended length this one plods here and there. The supporting characters here aren't as enjoyable or fleshed out as in the first, where is Kay Medford's wonderful mother? Most of the music is excellent, the problem with most is the staging. We only get snippets of many of them like "More Than You Know" and "Am I Blue" and several of the ones we do get full versions of are muddled, the worst is "It's Gonna Be a Great Day". Barbra gives a great rendition of the song but it's drowned mostly in long shots and the sound of the shuffling feet of the surrounding dancers. "Let's Hear It For Me" is a blatant ripoff of "Don't Rain on My Parade". There is a haunting version of "If I Love Again" though. Caan is alright as Billy Rose but he and Babs share little chemistry and he mostly shouts his part hardly making the most romantic leading man. As for Streisand, who made this under duress from a contract obligation, she is of course loaded with talent but seems brittle and haughty, two things Fanny Brice never was. The production design is excellent and some of the costumes are eye popping, the feathered dress in itself is amazing, but they are dressing up an average affair. Not a waste of time just don't go into it expecting the high quality of the first film.
8 out of 8 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Entertaining sequel
The 1968 film version of FUNNY GIRL was an absolute masterpiece, and as perfect as a musical-comedy film can be. A sequel to this classic was not something that was ever needed to be made, but since the original was so successful (FUNNY GIRL was the highest-grossing film of 1968) and well-loved, it was pretty obvious why producer Ray Stark wanted to make this follow-up so badly. It took awhile, but he eventually convinced Streisand to sign on and reprise her role as Fanny Brice, with Herbert Ross (who had staged the musical numbers in the original film and had directed Streisand in the box office hit THE OWL AND THE PUSSYCAT) set to direct. Although the film was generally well-received by most critics and proved to be another big box office hit, many fans of the sweet-natured original did not care for the slightly more harsh and cynical tone of this follow-up, and it has since fallen out of favor with many Streisand fans.
While no film could ever recapture the easy charm and beautiful sentiment of FUNNY GIRL, FUNNY LADY is highly entertaining when viewed on it's own terms. Streisand plays the now-hard-bitten Fanny with a depth and maturity that is very different from her characterization in the first film, but almost equally as stunning. Many viewers often complain that James Caan was badly miscast as Billy Rose. While Caan is physically wrong for the role of the short, unattractive Rose, he still comes across as oddly likable, and he has a nice comic chemistry with Streisand. Roddy McDowell is fun as Fanny's assistant, and veteran hoofer Ben Vereen brings down the house with a incredible, almost gravity-defying dance routine. Omar Shariff also returns for two very effective scenes as Nick Arnstein, the man Fanny will always love, but can't seem to live with.
Though Streisand is in terrific singing voice, the song score is a bit more hit-and-miss. The period standards that Streisand vividly performs (particularly the bittersweet "More Than You Know," the gospel-infused "Great Day," and the heart-wrenching "If I Love Again") are absolutely fantastic, however, the heavily-promoted original songs from Cabaret composers Kander and Ebb are a major disappointment. The intended show-stopper "How Lucky Can You Get" is fine number that is made memorable by Streisand's scorching performance, however, the remainder of the original songs ("Blind Date," "Let's Here It For Me") are pretty forgettable despite Streisand's impassioned vocals. Fortunately, these few mediocre numbers (and the rather predictable narrative) are flaws that are very easy to forgive. No, FUNNY LADY doesn't hold a candle to FUNNY GIRL, but the film remains a fun and enjoyable ride that should entertain those who loved the original.
23 out of 26 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Not Much under the Hood of this Star Vehicle
I first saw "Funny Lady" in 1979, when it was in heavy rotation on Showtime. At the time I loved it. Not a surprise: I was 12, in the early stages of my Barbra Streisand obsession and it was the first one of her movies I had ever seen. When it appeared on TCM recently I decided to take another look now that more than 30 years have passed, my Streisand obsession has cooled and I've since seen "Funny Girl," as well as everything else in the Streisand filmography save "Little Fockers" (you have to draw the line somewhere). I still enjoyed it, but I saw it for what it was: a contractual obligation.
Streisand didn't want to make the movie — reportedly only agreeing to it when threatened with a lawsuit — and it shows in her performance, the star often appearing annoyed and impatient with the proceedings. But then, who could blame her? The story, loosely based on Fanny Brice's marriage to Billy Rose, isn't fully developed here, lazily told and clumsily directed by Herbert Ross, with montages filling in the cracks between a few dramatic moments and musical numbers. In fact, "Funny Lady" at times plays like one of those vapid vehicles Hollywood sticks singers in just to cash in on his/her popularity, like "Burlesque," to cite a recent (and much worse) example. James Caan, as Rose, is good but he and Streisand never quite click, as if the stars were filmed in separate sound stages and spliced together in the editing room. Roddy McDowell flits at the periphery in the thankless role of Fanny's gay friend/assistant; Omar Sharif reprises his role as Nicky Arnstein in what's little more than an extended cameo, his character now a money grubbing cad; and Ben Vereen is in one musical number and quickly dismissed (the rest of his role landed on the cutting room floor).
I was also struck by how thrown-together the movie looked, with sets and costumes looking like castoffs from "The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour" (the "Great Day" musical number in particular could just as easily have been part of Cher's Vegas performances in the '70s). And how about that final scene, set more than a decade later, with Streisand in a horrible helmet of gray hair and Caan's hair and mustache sprayed white, yet neither star looking a day older than 35.
And yet Streisand can still enthrall. I loved her musical numbers, particularly her bitter rendition of "How Lucky Can You Get," the ballad "If I Love Again," and the "Don't Rain on My Parade"-wannabe, "Let's Hear it for Me." Barbra even has some good dramatic moments, particularly a somber scene where Fanny and Rose discuss their relationship after she's catches him in bed with the star of his aquatic revue, Eleanor Holm. "Funny Lady" is less a sequel to "Funny Girl" than a star vehicle. Luckily, Streisand has enough power to drive it, even though this star vehicle doesn't have much under the hood.
7 out of 7 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
You wanna know what it's really like ?....
FAN......TAS......TIC !
Well,not quite, but still very watchable. There's a sort of hollow feeling to the whole thing, but then I sort of think that adds new character to an already well told story. We'd have certainly been cheated if they tried to re-do "funny girl" all over again. I have played the soundtrack so many times and really have never felt cheated in any way. The sequel portrays Fanny Brice as more worldly and cynical. She couldn't have possibly remained the same naive, dewy-eyed girl portrayed in the first movie. I think, as sequels go, this is well done and enjoyable...but, a sequel nevertheless. A little less magic than the original, but enjoyable on several levels.
19 out of 21 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
One of Streisand's best...
"Funny Lady", a continuation of the life of singer-comedienne Fanny Brice begun in 1968 with "Funny Girl", is a smashing good time: a musical-comedy with exuberance, raucous wit, sentiment and bittersweet romance. Barbra Streisand is back as Fanny, involved romantically with sparring-partner/producer Billy Rose (James Caan), but still carrying a torch for ex-husband Nicky Arnstein (Omar Sharif returning, this time with a sinister sheen). At one point, realizing Arnstein has no heart to give her, Fanny walks down a hotel corridor singing, "I'll be damned, I have been damned, but I won't be damned anymore!" This is a great moment for "Funny Girl" fans, to see Fanny come full circle in her feelings for this man whom she held up on a pedestal. James Caan peddles his scenes a little softly--almost sheepishly--and once the two leads get married, the narrative becomes squashed and the heartbreak feels forced. The screenplay is factually inaccurate (to put it mildly), but Streisand is in high-gear nearly throughout; meddlesome, bitchy, soft and sexy, a smart-ass, she's the reason people went to see "Funny Lady" in 1975 and she's still a great reason to go the movies. ***1/2 from ****
12 out of 17 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Grumpy Lady
Warning: Spoilers
Watching "Funny Lady" always makes me laugh. Not because it's particularly humorous (the only scene I think that works for humor is Streisand's hotel room shout-fest that follows Billy's disastrous opening night), but because each time I see it I am reminded of the one-sentence review a friend gave it back when it opened in 1975: "Why did they call it 'Funny Lady'? They should have called it 'Mean Barbra'!" Indeed, Streisand seems to be in a constant state of pique throughout most of the film's 2+ hours. (It's well known that she didn't want to do it and had to be sued to take on the job.) Fanny Brice has indeed grown up, and in place of the ambitious but lovable "Funny Girl" from the original, we have a scowling, foul-mouthed, perpetually angry and upset harridan in anachronistically overdone gowns.
"Funny Lady" exists because "Funny Girl" was a success. There is really nothing going on in Fanny's adult life that warrants the mammoth film built around it. She has no emotional mountains to climb (unless you count the need of a Nicky Arnstein detox) and Billy Rose is not the love of her life, so what do we have? We have the Barbra Streisand show. A musical and costume fix for Streisand junkies, but not much of a movie.
I like Streisand a lot, but here her face looks hard and mad all the time and she seems to be striking one pose after another in her extravagant costumes that bear that unmistakable Bob Mackie stamp that recalls the look of every 70s Vegas revue. It's kind of entertaining to see such an abrasive Fanny Brice, but scene after scene of her being bossy and telling musicians and producers how to do their job, you kind of lose the feeling this is Brice you're watching. It's Barbra.
All that being said, the movie is somehow so light and inconsequential that it is rather watchable. It requires absolutely no brain work on your part and just asks you to sit back and admire Barbra for a couple of hours. Which, even in her caustic mode, is pretty easy to do.
James Caan is pretty good but miscast as the teeny-tiny Billie Rose, and poor Omar Sharif is hung out to dry as Fanny's punctured romance, Nick Arnstein. They really don't give him much to do.
So, if you like your Streisand hard edged, singing up a storm, decked out like a Christmas tree, lovingly photographed and serving up ample glimpses of bosom and behind, perhaps "Funny Lady" is for you. If you're looking for a really good movie, better rent "Funny Girl."
10 out of 11 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
A worthy sequel to a classic.
Let's get the biggest question out of the way: Is FUNNY LADY as good as FUNNY GIRL? Of course not, but how many movies are? This is the lively follow-up to the 1968 masterpiece, that continues Fanny's (Streisand's) story after her divorce from Nick (Sharif) and her second marriage to producer Billy Rose (James Caan).
This film was a sure-fire hit back in '75. Made on a then-hefty budget of $7 million, FUNNY LADY went on to gross over $48 million in the United States alone. Streisand and Caan have a sparkling chemistry, and Sharif is charming. Also, Roddy McDowell is memorable in a supporting role as Bobby.
The screenplay, though familiar, is surprisingly crisp with some fresh comedy bits and a bittersweet conclusion. The music isn't anywhere near as good as the original's, but there are some nice numbers including the showstopper "How Lucky Can You Get?" and the soft "More Than You Know."
FUNNY LADY is a very good movie and great sequel. Although the original is the place to start, the Streisand-Caan chemistry will give fans a good fix. Enjoy!
My score: 7 out of 10.
15 out of 17 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Elephantine Sequel to "Funny Girl" Still Has Certain Charms Here and There
Warning: Spoilers
It's easy to malign this bloated 1975 sequel to "Funny Girl", the landmark 1968 musical which ably served as Barbra Streisand's launching pad into movies. This time, the story of Ziegfeld Follies entertainer Fanny Brice's years in the limelight does not provide a character arc which allows us to discover anything new about her character. Instead, director Herbert Ross and screenwriter Jay Presson Allen focus on the turbulent, sometimes comic relationship between the established Brice and her eventual husband, rising impresario Billy Rose. The staccato dialogue between the two, a far cry from the moony worship Brice held for gambler Nick Arnstein in the first movie, is what makes "Funny Lady" good light entertainment even though the old-fashioned narrative often feels disjointed and truncated.
Fortunately, in full diva mode as the success-hardened heroine, Streisand is at the top of her game, and James Caan brings youthful energy to his portrayal of the brash, egotistical Rose. The rest of the actors barely register, including Ben Vereen who doesn't have a single line of dialogue as entertainer Bert Robbins and an embalmed-looking Omar Sharif reprising his role as Arnstein this time as a preening, materialistic fortune hunter. What a shame that the swooning love story of the first film reaches such a cynical denouement in this story. There are songs written for the film by the estimable team of John Kander and Fred Ebb, and they meld nicely with the old, Rose-penned standards presented here. However, some of the production numbers are badly staged, for example, the faux-gospel take on "(It's Gonna Be a) Great Day" with a sequin-infested Streisand surrounded by an ensemble of uncoordinated dancers, or the clarion call of "Let's Hear It for Me" complete with a roadster and a biplane to replicate the driving rhythm of its obvious inspiration, "Don't Rain on My Parade". In fact, there are many ill-used references to "Funny Girl" from the opening montage to the overorchestrated refrains of "People" when Arnstein kisses Brice.
Moreover, the movie has a constant veneer of excess, especially the overdone Bob Mackie gowns, as if nothing seems rooted in reality. Through all this, Streisand does manage to create some breathtaking musical magic - her sonorous version of "More Than You Know" in the recording studio; her torchy, show-stopping lament, "How Lucky Can You Get" (although her revealing gown is rather distracting); and best of all, her pristine rendition of the old chestnut, "If I Love Again", set against a glass grand piano. Even Caan shows off a pleasant karaoke-style voice on "It's Only a Paper Moon/I Like Her" and "Me and My Shadow". Even though it's always a risk to include a years-later scene with the actors in grayed wigs and heavy make-up, the ending reunion between Brice and Rose is saved by the alternating currents of humor and poignancy that Streisand and Caan generate. I only wish the film ended with a Streisand showstopper like "Funny Girl" did. But alas, the movie provides certain pleasures in spite of its various shortcomings.
3 out of 3 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
2 or 3 good songs and some chemistry, that's it.
There's one big musical number by an otherwise underused Ben Vereen that shows why he became a household name despite little screen work. Oh, if only that sparkle was evident in the rest of this movie! Barbra has one good splashy musical number, and a song toward the end that propels the story to its conclusion (the only song to almost live up to the music in Funny Girl).
The character of Fanny Brice is brasher and not as likable than she was in 1968. Even less likable is James Caan as the overconfident producer Billy Rose who shoves his way into Fanny's career and life. Omar Sharif he ain't, but he does have chemistry with Streisand. The fact that Billy insults Roddy McDowall (also underused) in his first scene sets the tone for how he comes across for the remainder of the film, and that's tough to endure. There's also no Kay Medford and no Walter Pigeon.
However, if one were to watch this at face value NOT KNOWING that a near-perfect original preceded it--it'd be okay, worth seeing once anyway just to know how Brice's story turns out.
As for Sharif reprising the role of Nicky Arnstein, well, his presence only reminds the viewer how much BETTER and more HEART the original film had. Their relationship could not be a more fitting metaphor for this sequel: the magic just isn't there anymore.
8 out of 9 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Fanny Moves On
Ray Stark as son-in-law of Fanny Brice continued his wife's mother's saga in Funny Lady. This film picks up where Funny Girl left off with Fanny Brice now split with Nicky Arnstein and trying to carve a career out again. Barbra Streisand as Fanny is now facing the Depression and possible ruin. Performers like Eddie Cantor and Groucho Marx were ruined by the stock market crash. When we first meet her she's in the office of Bernard Baruch who is played by Larry Gates and a good friend to have in those times, she also by chance meets his former office boy and stenographer Billy Rose who's carving quite a career of his own now.
Rose possibly because of his working with Bernard Baruch may have learned to stay out of the stock market, but he was a gambler, a conman, a promoter, all these requirements to be a Broadway producer. Apparently Brice had a thing for these kind of people. But Rose as played by James Caan isn't quite as smooth an article as former husband Nicky Arnstein.
In real life these two knew each other and worked together before the show Crazy Quilt which was a flop on Broadway only running for 79 performances. That actually because 1931 was mid-Depression wasn't bad for the time. Still the way it was a flop is as funny as either a Mack Sennett short or an extended I Love Lucy episode, you take your choice.
Omar Sharif appears again as Nicky Arnstein who Rose no matter what he does can't seem to compete against. Brice has gone on to radio and film, but still can't find the elusive personal happiness in her relationships. Her closest friend is Roddy McDowall, a fictional gay character brought into the story and he functions the way Daniel Massey does as Noel Coward in the Julie Andrews biographical film about Gertrude Lawrence, Star. Ben Vereen's character Bert Robbins is a combination of Bert Williams and Bill 'Bojangles' Robinson. Bert Williams certainly did appear with Fanny Brice in the Ziegfeld Follies, but he died in 1922. Bill Robinson so far as I know never did work with Fanny Brice.
One thing I do remember about Billy Rose, his name is on all kinds of song lyrics, a lot of which are incorporated here. Now his contributions to the writing of these songs is debatable, but he certainly could promote them, especially if they were part of a show he was doing. I do recall Vincent Youmans's family complaining bitterly about Funny Lady, saying he wrote the music for Great Day and More Than You Know and wasn't given a mention on screen.
The original songs for Funny Lady were written by John Kander and Fred Ebb. One of the Oscar nominations that Funny Lady got was for Best Original Song, another Streisand classic How Lucky Can You Get. The song was done that year also in a duet album in a nice version by Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire.
The enduring popularity of the decade's greatest star Barbra Streisand appearing once again in the role that made her career, pre-sold Funny Lady to a built in audience. It holds up very well and Barbra has made Fanny Brice come alive again for another generation, even if there's more Barbra than Fanny in this film as opposed to Funny Girl.
5 out of 7 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
As Sequels Go, I've Seen Worse...
Barbra Streisand reprised her Oscar-winning role of Fanny Brice in 1975's FUNNY LADY, a big splashy musical that centers around Fanny at the height of her stardom and her stormy relationship with second husband, Billy Rose (James Caan). Much has been written about how unnecessary this sequel was and how it wasn't very factual regarding Fanny and Billy's marriage. First of all, Hollywood has always had sequel-itis. Any movie that makes a decent profit at the box office is going to have a sequel sooner or later. Second, as far as accuracy is concerned, does anyone really think FUNNY GIRL stuck to the facts? FUNNY GIRL was about as close to a factual biography of Fanny Brice as a Harlequin romance novel, but people loved it and Barbra won an Oscar. For what it is, FUNNY LADY is a very entertaining movie with a charismatic starring performance by Streisand as an older, wiser, and more savvy Fanny who is definitely in charge of her own life now...that is, until Nick Arnstein (Omar Sharif, in a gratuitous cameo)briefly re-enters her life. The film really focuses on Fanny's relationship with Rose, antagonistic at first but it does grow into a relationship based on mutual respect and affection, but not love or passion, which Fanny had with Nick. I love the scene where Billy proposes to Fanny because it's more like a business merger than a marriage proposal. These people are clearly not in love with each other but they are both lonely and need each other so they agree to a marriage they don't really want. The musical numbers, for the most part, are well-staged if not terribly original. There's a definite "been there done that" feel to some of the numbers. Fanny on stage in an empty theater belting out "How Lucky Can You Get?" reminded me of Fanny on stage in an empty theater belting out "I'm the Greatest Star." And many comparisons have been made to "Let's Hear it from Me" to "Don't Rain on my Parade", except that Fanny takes off in a plane instead of chasing a tugboat. Barbara shines in the "Big Day" production number and her take on two lovely ballads "Isn't this Better?" and "If I Love Again" is memorable. The score effectively combines songs from Fanny's era as well as new songs by John Kander and Fred Ebb (CABARET). Cann is charming as Billy Rose and Sharif has aged surprisingly well. Kudos also to Ben Vereen for his one-show-stopping number, "Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie". Not historically accurate or terribly original, but FUNNY LADY is an entertaining musical with Barbra in top form and her fans will not be disappointed.
6 out of 8 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Thuddy Girl
This musical is just brutal. After the sensational soaring of FUNNY GIRL this bludgeoning sequel is what CARRY ON CLEO is to CLEOPATRA. Honestly, I thought Barbra was channeling Phil Silvers in TOP BANANA against James Caan still in Sonny Corleone mode. Or commode perhaps. The production values and the color is good but Barbra yakketyyakking at Caan's bemused head for 140 minutes just left me punch drunk. Ben Vereen leaping about and Roddy being wistful was sort of OK and some of the dance numbers were enjoyable in a cardboard way. I would actually like the see the reportedly cut scenes, especially James Caan singing "Does your chewing gum get stale on the bedpost overnight" (true) ...apparently he is playing it on a typewriter at the time, and whatever else they decided was 'not good enough' as opposed to what was already there. This even has a imitation 'Don't Rain On My Parade' number with planes trains and automobiles instead of a tug. Something this lady might have actually needed. Brutal. Clobbering. Thank God we weren't bulldozed with FUNNY GRANNY, but I guess there is still time.
6 out of 10 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Occasionally great music...and with a coarser and less interesting version of Fanny.
Wow...was I disappointed. I saw "Funny Girl" just a few weeks ago and really liked it--even though the story often bore little resemblance to the real-life Fanny Brice. I scored that film a 9. Here, once again, the true story takes a back seat but unlike the first time, this one just isn't fun. It's depressing, unnecessary and much of the music really isn't enjoyable because instead of integrating it into the film naturally, it looks more like they had Barbra Streisand do a concert and just shove these songs into the film. Also, instead of being cute and innocent, often the film is crude and unlikable. It's a shame, as SOME of the music is quite nice and there are a few moments that shine. But too often the film is flat and unappealing due to a lackluster script and indifferent direction. In my opinion, it's purely for Streisand fans who are not particularly demanding.
They could have improved the film by: cutting several of the songs, at least TRYING to get her relationship with Billy Rose right (there WAS no happy ending like they implied at the end), cut out the coarse language (it makes the characters much more unlikable) and make Fanny Brice not look so pathetic. All in all, a sad waste of talent.
1 out of 1 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Just watch 'Funny Girl' twice
Don't expect too much out of this sequel to the fantastic musical Funny Girl. In general, sequels don't measure up to the originals, and this is no exception. For those of you who haven't seen the first one, I won't ruin the movie by telling you what this one's about. I'll just tell you it's post-Funny Girl, and let you find out what that means.
Is James Caan ever likable? If Will Ferrell and Christmas can't make him likable, Barbra Streisand certainly can't. Sequels are hard enough without casting an extremely unlikable leading man in an already unlikable role. I can save you two hours and fifteen minutes by telling you Barbra doesn't make the film worthwhile. The songs aren't nearly as good, and her performances during them are downright irritating. Just as an example, she performs "I've Got a Code in My Doze" onstage, which is supposed to be a funny way of saying, "I've got a cold in my nose," which, if you think about it, makes no sense even if pronounced correctly.
Save yourselves. Just watch Funny Girl twice.
1 out of 1 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Funny Lady is Better
"Funny Lady" is a better movie than "Funny Girl". All "Funny Girl" does is let Barbra Streisand showcase her singing talent between scenes. You don't care about the other characters or the story. After Streisand, the only other interesting person in the movie is Walter Pidgeon portraying Florenz Ziegfeld.
"Funny Lady" has heart and soul. It is about Fanny Brice (Barbra Streisand), who goes on with her career during the depression after her divorce, meets her next husband, Billy Rose, (James Caan) marries him but yearns for her former husband, Nicky Arnstein (Omar Sharif). This is a tortured love story with music. Most of the musical numbers are set in the shows that Fanny Brice performed in, and that makes sense.
However, there are three musical numbers that are used as dialogue, but are set to music. They work. The two that touched me were: Jimmy Caan singing briefly with Barbra Streisand - they sing sweetly together while falling in like. The best dramatic musical number is when Fanny Brice sings her broken heart out on an empty stage, lamenting the loss of her newly married ex-husband; and Billy Rose watching in pain. This is Streisand's, Caan's, and Sharif's best romantic performances. Of all the leading men Barbra Streisand worked with, James Cann complimented her the best. They should work again as a team. Only the Foreign Press Globes honored this movie with major nominations.
9 out of 18 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Caan plays Sonny again...
The film is entertaining enough. Barbara and Jimmy C definitely have on screen chemistry and play well off each other. However, Caan basically plays the same role he played in The Godfather. If you see him once, you see him a thousand times. With that said, his performance worked here and he was even comical in all the right places. If you are a fan of either of the two stars, you will enjoy Funny Lady.
1 out of 1 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Funny Lady
Warning: Spoilers
Funny Girl was a fantastic musical, famous also for having the lead actress tie in her Oscar win with Katharine Hepburn in The Lion in Winter (because she voted for herself), so was interested to see how the sequel would fare, from director Herbert Ross (The Sunshine Boys, Footloose, The Secret of My Succe$s). Basically, set in 1930's New York, this is a set after singer and comedienne Fanny Brice (Golden Globe nominated Barbra Streisand) has divorced Nicky Arnstein (Omar Sharif). With the Depression taking effect all over the place she is finding it difficult to find work both on the stage and in recording, but then she meets songwriter and impresario Billy Rose (Golden Globe nominated James Caan), and she does find it easier. Their relationship gets very close and they eventually get married, and Fanny gains back her success in the recording studio singing the songs that he has written. There is a point when Nicky comes back to see her, but he is of course married to someone else, but she naturally still has feelings for him, and he does for her. Of course the marriage with Bill doesn't work as well as Fanny thought it would, and obviously they divorce, and supposedly she continues her success until her death. Also starring Roddy McDowall as Bobby Moore, Golden Globe nominated Ben Vereen as Bert Robbins, Carole Wells as Norma Butler, Larry Gates as Bernard Baruch, Heidi O'Rourke as Eleanor Holm, Samantha C. Kirkeby/Huffaker as Fran and Matt Emery as Buck Bolton. Streisand is a little less enthusiastic in this follow up but still nice to watch and listen to, Caan is okay as her new husband showing her the ropes, there are some catchy songs like "Let's Hear It For Me" and "I Found a Million Dollar Baby (in a Five and Ten Cent Store)", it is not as fun watch as the original film, in fact it for me was a little boring, but it isn't a completely terrible biographical musical. It was nominated the Oscars for Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Song for "How Lucky Can You Get" (also nominated the Golden Globe), Best Music for Peter Matz and Best Sound, and it was nominated the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture - Musical/Comedy and Best Original Score for John Kander and Fred Ebb. Okay!
1 out of 2 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Caan Caan't
Warning: Spoilers
The minute Funny Girl went into the black a sequel was on the cards and like most sequels it had a mountain to climb and barely made it to base camp. It's difficult to blame producer Ray Stark for wanting to squeeze extra mileage out of his mother-in-law Fanny Brice and although Brice was either unknown or had been forgotten when Funny Girl opened on Broadway both the show and the subsequent film brought her to the attention of a new audience so on paper why not a sequel. Thanks to the dubious association of the words Billy Rose and lyricist - the smart money says he 'bought' the lyrics with which he is credited from more talented writers - the film is laced with quality numbers on the order of More Than You Know, It's Only A Paper Moon, Me And My Shadow, etc and Streisand can certainly put a song across but somehow this fails to jell and weighs in at a good twenty minutes too long. Worth seeing .... once.
1 out of 2 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Vastly inferior to Funny Girl, but not that bad a sequel
While not without flaws Funny Girl was a wonderful film with Barbra Streisand boasting one of the finest film debuts ever. Funny Lady is nowhere near as good, but that doesn't mean it's bad because it's not. It has lovely costumes and sets, if not as opulent as those of Funny Girl, and the photography is mostly very nice, especially the use of Panavision in I Found a Million Dollar Baby in a Five and Ten Cent Store. Save a couple of exceptions, particularly in It's Gonna Be a Happy Day, the overuse of long shots gives it a rather chaotic look. The music is not as great as Funny Girl's, with the score being pleasant and paced well, and while none of the songs quite equal Don't Rain On My Parade or My Man they are fine on their equal, with the best being How Lucky Can You Get?, More Than You Know and I Found a Million Dollar Baby in a Five and Ten Cent Store. The script is amusing with a few sweet moments. Barbra is not as magical as she was in Funny Girl with Fanny having more of diva-ish attitude, but she manages the comic and dramatic(certainly better than in A Star is Born) moments very well and her singing is as gorgeous and impassioned as ever. James Caan is also good though with a character who's not easy to like at first, and they have an easy chemistry together. Omar Sharif is as charming as he was in Funny Girl, Roddy McDowell is underused but memorable and Ben Vereen has the chance to show some fancy footwork. Funny Lady is problematic, long shots overuse aside. The pacing does have a tendency to be elephantine, especially like in Funny Girl in the second half and the story is not as fun, as romantic or as touching as Funny Girl(they're evident just that Funny Girl had them much stronger) so it was not as easy to properly invest or engage with it. And if you thought the story and writing in Funny Girl was clichéd or contrived, and a fair few people do think that, Funny Lady does it worse. Herbert Ross's direction is rather clumsy as well, the direction in It's Gonna Be a Happy Day is particularly muddled and he does lose control of the story and its clichés at frequent points. Overall, a lacklustre sequel but a watchable one at least. 6/10 Bethany Cox
0 out of 1 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
How Lucky the Audience Got...
Warning: Spoilers
Six years after receiving her Oscar for the role of Fanny Brice in "Funny Lady", Barbra Streisand was back for round two of the great comic's life. "What's next, Funny Grandma?", she allegedly quipped, and if that never came to fruition, the second installment is still a worthy follow-up. Not as well written or original as its predecessor, "Funny Lady" still takes us back to the middle of Brice's career, although Ziegfeld, Mama Brice and her Jewish cronies and Brice's daughter (wife of producer Ray Stark) are curiously absent.
Now divorced from Nicky Arnstein, Brice sets out on her own from Ziegfeld to work with the somewhat obnoxious newcomer Billy Rose (James Caan) who at first doesn't seem to understand show business or how to really put on a show. That would change over the years, and he is now a legendary name in Broadway circles. There's a hysterical glimpse of the over-stuffed circus like atmosphere he would outdo Ziegeld with (think "Billy Rose's Jumbo" or "Billy Rose's Diamond Horseshoe"), and when Fanny breaks out into "I Met a Million Dollar Baby", everything that can go wrong does go wrong. Streisand briefly allows Broadway baby Ben Vereen to get into the act too, but it's mostly Streisand singing, although she does generously allow Caan to duet with her on "It's Only a Paper Moon".
The comic skits are more realistic for Brice's status than the big glamor numbers. "I've Got a Blind Date" and "Code in My Doze" are two highlights, but "Great Day", as well as it is staged, doesn't appear to be right for Brice, more in-tuned for the (by 1975 standards) public image that was la Streisand. However, when she breaks into two big songs for Brice off-stage ("Let's Here It For Me!" and the Oscar Nominated "How Lucky Can You Get?"), it's all back. Having been on a tug boat in "Funny Girl" and a train in "Hello, Dolly!", Streisand covers practically every other moving vehicle (airplane and sports car) in the ego-sounding "Let's Here It For Me", an over-the-top but fun love letter to herself that truly pleased her ardent fans.
Veteran director William Wyler had brought simplicity to "Funny Girl" with its high budget, but with Herbert Ross in the director's chair here, it is all lavish and sometimes garish. Still, there's no denying this woman's talent, and even if others suffer with lack of screen time or musical numbers, it's worth it just to hear that voice.
0 out of 1 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
sequal bio
Directed by Herbert Ross, this sequel to Funny Lady begins where Fanny Brice takes up with Bill Rose, and she makes her comback. Although this film is a bit tedious, it still has my favorite Barbra doing her magic. One scene is very funny where she gets wet in the Aquacade of 1939, (my dad took me to that show in Cleveland, Ohio). She sings "I Gotta Cold In My Head'; another song at the end is "My Man", Fanny Brice's most famous number. Roddy MacDowell plays her assistant. Omar Shariff returns to give his endearing love as Nicki Arnstein. Great for all of Barbra's fans! 7/10
1 out of 2 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
MORE OF THE SAME BUT THAT'S NOT BAD...!
The sequel to Funny Girl finds Bab's Fanny Price trying to maintain her status as the gran dame of musical comedy theater & also navigate the throes of love which appears in the form of James Caan's Billy Rose. Slightly more streamlined than the original where the story is pretty straight forward, girl gets guy, girl loses guy, and so on but Herbert Ross (who choreographed the first film) doesn't stage his scenes as elaborately as William Wyler did. Great fun if you're a Babs fan & just mildly entertaining for the rest of us mere mortals.
0 out of 0 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
7/10!
Not the best sequel! But I love Barbra so so much!
0 out of 0 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
OK, but just doesn't get it done
Well, Streisand really could belt them out. And she looked great. She acted well. So did Caan. I guess the weakness must have been in the script. (Or in Brice's life, if any of this was true) Maybe it's just the comparison with with "Funny Girl". Anyway, this film just didn't do much for me. Grade C
0 out of 2 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
Source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073026/reviews
0 Response to "Ill Never See Him Again Funny Girl"
Post a Comment