Good movie but grossly overrated

It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

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.

Many reviews here lament that FL is a sad, if sometimes all right, sequel to what they deem the brilliant FG. Sorry. FG, while boasting great stuff, is not a perfect film, and FL has a delightful energy beyond the first film. Which is strange, since Herbert Ross ain't no William Wyler. The thing is, FG is marred by heavy-handed angst and sentimentality, whereas this film's cynical, been-there Brice is more balanced. Caan is amazingly good as Rose, and the songs are wonderful, from 'How Lucky Can You Get?' to the haunting 'Isn't This Better?' Just as in FG, facts are happily tossed aside, but maybe the best recommendation for this movie is that Shariff's unctuous Arnstein is so briefly in it. Basically, 'Funny Lady' lacks the Broadway, do-or-die engine of FG, but that's a good thing. It still has plenty of heart, excellent comic scenes and timing, sharper writing, and real momentum.

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.

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.