Funny Lady

Rating:
Summary: Not THAT Bad
Review: Maybe it's because it was the first Barbra Streisand movie I ever saw and didn't have its predecessor to compare it to, but I don't think "Funny Lady" is as bad as many say. True, this movie was made around the time Streisand began to lose her sense of humor, and it shows in her performance. The story is also less developed than the one in "Funny Girl." Still, Streisand's star power and the spectacular musical numbers manage to hold this flawed sequel together. With a filmography that includes "A Star is Born" and "The Main Event," Streisand fans can certainly do worse than "Funny Lady."

Rating:
Summary: Flawless singing...
Review: No matter what one may think of the movie, and whether it should have been made at all, I can't help but say that "If I Love Again" has to be the most beautiful ballad ever written...EVER!!
And Barbra singing it is nothing short of breathtaking.

Rating:
Summary: Great Streisand but is this still the "original" soundtrack?
Review: Streisand is, of course, just wonderful. But what Arista has done with this reisue surprises me: instead of ADDING the "alternate takes", they chose to actually CHANGE some of the songs from the original album. Where is that wonderful "angels in the skyyyy-aaaa-yyy" from the original "Great Day"? I doubt very much this can still be called the "original" soundtrack.

They also resequenced the songs, but NOT entirely the way they appear in the film itself, so why bothering in the first place?

Again, if this was considered to be the reisue of the "original" recording, the alternate takes should really be a bonus, not the replacement of the "original" ones.

Rating:
Summary: "See, Billy, in a tutu, I can be funny."
Review: 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 FNNY GIRL, but the film remains a fun and enjoyable ride that should entertain those who loved the original.

About the DVD: The picture quality is excellent - a bit more edge enhancement than there was the FUNNY GIRL DVD, but still great. The sound is also terrific, but I wish Columbia would have at least included the film's original trailer.

Rating:
Summary: "See, Billy, in a tutu, I can be funny."
Review: 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 FNNY GIRL, but the film remains a fun and enjoyable ride that should entertain those who loved the original.

About the DVD: The picture quality is excellent - a bit more edge enhancement than there was the FUNNY GIRL DVD, but still great. The sound is also terrific, but I wish Columbia would have at least included the film's original trailer.

Rating:
Summary: An entertaining album of standards and original songs.
Review: The 1975 sequel to "Funny Girl" in which Barbra Streisand made her screen debut, "Funny Lady" boasts a soundtrack with standards and newly-written tunes by Kander and Ebb. With her voice at its peak, Barbra Streisand interprets this grab-bag of songs with great verve and tenderness, mixing feeling with meaning. Whether Fanny Brice is onstage doing her Yiddish shtick in "Blind Date" or contemplating her emotional relationship with Billy Rose (James Caan) in "Isn't This Better?", the songs hit the right note. What's entertaining about this album is the vividness of the performances not only by Streisand, but also by James Caan and Ben Vereen; the listener can enjoy the songs without having seen the film. If you like melodies, bravura dramatic singing and comedy numbers, this is the album for you! Close your eyes and you'll be back in the good old days when the songs were part of the film's story, not just an excuse for a soundtrack.

Rating:
Summary: An entertaining album of standards and original songs.
Review: The 1975 sequel to "Funny Girl" in which Barbra Streisand made her screen debut, "Funny Lady" boasts a soundtrack with standards and newly-written tunes by Kander and Ebb. With her voice at its peak, Barbra Streisand interprets this grab-bag of songs with great verve and tenderness, mixing feeling with meaning. Whether Fanny Brice is onstage doing her Yiddish shtick in "Blind Date" or contemplating her emotional relationship with Billy Rose (James Caan) in "Isn't This Better?", the songs hit the right note. What's entertaining about this album is the vividness of the performances not only by Streisand, but also by James Caan and Ben Vereen; the listener can enjoy the songs without having seen the film. If you like melodies, bravura dramatic singing and comedy numbers, this is the album for you! Close your eyes and you'll be back in the good old days when the songs were part of the film's story, not just an excuse for a soundtrack.

Rating:
Summary: Unimpressive re-issue
Review: The five Ebb/Kander songs range from the stupid ("So Long Honey, Lamb") to the mediocre ("How Lucky Can You Get"). Streisand was in her vocal prime in 1975 and it's just too bad she didn't have better material to work with. The older songs are great, though, especially "More Than You Know," "If I Love Again," and the album's masterpiece, "Great Day." Unfortunately, the current re-issue is something of a disappointment. The alternate, inferior version of "Great Day" presented here sounds like it might have been a demo or a rehearsal tape. And while it's nice to finally have the intro to "Let's Hear It for Me," the new re-mix makes the orchestra sound like it's in a different room. The good news about this CD is that the heinous James Caan and Ben Vereen tracks won't mar your listening pleasure if you program the disc before playing it. There was once a CD of this album on the now defunct "Bay Cities" (or something like that) label which presented this album in it's original condition. Maybe you can find it in a used bin or an online auction.

Rating:
Summary: It's Grrreatttt!
Review: The Kander and Ebb songs shine in this film album and the film was very enjoyable - like meeting an old friend. Barbra looks so sexy in the 'Great Day' number. Who else could sing 'More Than You Know' and 'How Lucky Can You Get' as well as Barbra. But the music and words of 'If I Should Love Again' are tops! Thank you, Kander and Ebb.

Rating:
Summary: When Barbra sings the standards, it's a 'great day!'
Review: The muck-anticipated sequel to the mega-hit FUNNY GIRL, FUNNY LADY was a big hit both at the box office and in record stores. The soundtrack hit #6 on the Hot 100 (impressive considering there was no advance single), and was quickly certified Gold. While opinions about the film itself are decidedly mixed, most fans agree the soundtrack is an excellent listen, with only a few reservations.

The six new songs by veteran songwriting team John Kander and Fred Ebb (of Cabaret and Chicago fame) are a disappointment, and can't hold a candle to their past triumphs. "Blind Date" and "So Long, Honey Lamb" are gratingly silly, while "Isn't It Better" and the `"I Like Him/Her" medley are a pair of pleasant-but-forgettable clichés. Worse of all is "Let's Hear It For Me," which is a strained and obvious [copy] of FUNNY GIRL'S spectacular "Don't Rain On My Parade." The intended show-stopper "How Lucky Can You Get?" fares better, and benefits greatly from Streisand's scorching performance.

However, the lackluster Kander and Ebb material does not matter, because Funny Lady contains Streisand's renditions of six standards, and they are terrific. The gospel-infused reinterpretation of "Great Day," the startling dramatic-turned-comic performance of "Am I Blue," and the jazzy, sexy take on "I Found A Million Dollar Baby In A Five And Ten Cent Store" are all masterpieces, although the disc's real standout tracks are the quiet, piano-based "If I Love Again" and the new rendition of "More Than You Know" (which surpasses Barbra's own excellent 1967 recording of the song).

The songs by other cast members (James Caan's "Me And My Shadow" and Ben Vereen's "Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie") didn't really need to be preserved here, but there're tolerable. Barbra's voice is so powerful at this period that she could have made anything sound good, however, the FUNNY LADY soundtrack is only first-rate when Streisand is singing the standards. Though disappointing, the Kander and Ebb songs are professional and perfectly listenable, however they're not the reason this disc is a must-own for Streisand fans.