Funny Girl (1968)

Too much of everything

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

Everyone know comedienne/singer Fanny Brice as Baby Snooks in both stage and radio. This musical is based on hit Broadway musical and Brice's life. The story focus on Brice's (Barbra Streisand's film debut) early career her rise to stardom in Ziegfeld Follies in the 1900s & 1920s. Her love & marriage to then-husband (second husband) the attractive gambler/con-artist smooth operator Nicky Arnstein.It not a good story and it overrated, but still some entertaining. The good parts of the story is that despise she's not pretty, Fanny proves to everyone that she has talented: humor & singing ability. She is a strong woman at her time. There are funny moments in first act especially Fanny Brice as teenage and during the "You Are Woman I Am Man" scene. There only five good songs in the film. "People" (that a really a standout that show's how Barbra Streisand is a good singer), "Don't Rain on My Parade" (remember heard that song on Mrs. Doubtfire when I was a kid), "You Are Woman I Am Man", "Sadie, Sadie", and Brice original song, "My Man". There is good chemistry between Streisand and Omar Sharif (in real-life they had affair while filming) (Streisand was still married to Elliott Gould). You would not like the second act of the story after Fanny and Nick got married and have a baby. They start have marriage problems; 1.) Nick's start losing at gambling and now their have financial problems 2.) After Fanny get back to work, Nicky start to get jealous/resent Fanny (A Star Is Born treatment) He becomes weak and self-destructive. Even thought it about the early career of Fanny Brice, it actually a musical comedy love story about her and Nick. I believe the Broadway version is probably better than the film because they said studio cut all Fanny's mother and her friends (Eddie and Georgia) numbers. More supporting scenes for Streisand and turn it into one-woman show (shame on you Columbia Studio!). You can see why Barbra Streisand won a Oscar, but Kate Hepburn's still My Best Actress Winner for The Lion in Winter. Both actress won in Oscar history it was tie. Don't watch the sequel Funny Lady because it not as fun as the original. It has some good moments and better songs but you would not like Fanny new personality because she got harder (remember somebody broke her heart).

A film adaption of a successful stage musical loosely based on the inspiring life of Fanny Brice (1891-1951), a popular vaudeville performer belongs to a bygone era, one of girls of Zeigfeld Follies, and her tempestuous marriage with Nick Arnstein (Sharif), a notorious gambler and debonair con artist.Barbra Streisand reprises her role on the big screen as her tailor-made debut and star-making vehicle, helmed by Wyler as the sole musical in his illustrious filmography and the penultimate feature of his glorious career, in addition to music and lyrics of Jule Styne and Bob Merrill, the film would be a major contender in the Oscar game and would eminently wins Streisand a BEST LEADING ACTRESS honour and the one-and-the-only time, in a tie with Katharine Hepburn in THE LION IN WINTER (1968). FUNNY GIRL ambitiously amalgamates an unconventional passage-to-fame of an ugly duckling with a mellifluous voice and an attitude of self-mockery, with a rote romance follows by the matrimonial turbulence, which mordantly bears out why it is so difficult for a successful woman to find a suitable hubby under the chauvinistic macro-milieu, especially when a husband's ego is too proud to accept the succour from his own wife even the situation is completely owing to his own defects.At a length of 150 minutes, including an overture and intermission, FUNNY GIRL is wholly focused on Streisand's Fanny and her affair of the heart. A not-so-attractive girl with a lowbrow upbringing, dreams of being a star on stage thanks to her singing talent, breezily challenges the customary but fluffy images of a Ziegfeld's girl (against the will of Mr. Florenz Ziegfeld, played by a stern-looking Pidgeon) and meets her deserved success. The first half of the movie is a high-octane studio-bound musical, Streisand's vocal prowess is impeccably affecting and puissant, you don't have to be her fan to acknowledge that (PEOPLE is such an empowering ballad, whereas the first half bookends with an exhilarating DON'T RAIN ON MY PARADE and the film crowns with her heart-rending delivery of MY MAN). Meanwhile she is quite effective as a comedienne too, the romantic chemistry between her and Sharif (if we can overlook his foreign accent and exotic looks to believe he is a Caucasian) is palpable since in real life there was a thing between them.The second half is more about Fanny and Nick's relationship than her career orbit, so a more melodramatic mood shift infuses gradually (although Fanny's Swan Lake spoof is a tension diffuser), but luckily Streisand and Sharif retain in their composure most of the time without hamming up the ugly confrontation, rarely, a celebrity's marriage can disintegrate with such dignity and mutual understanding, love is still there, but marriage just doesn't function for them. Omar Sharif, slums it cautiously for fear of stealing the diva's thunders in his most charming appearance, thus it is almost like a miracle that the veteran Kay Medford, who also reprises her role from the stage, can usurp an Oscar-nomination as Fanny's unpretentious and level-headed mother Rose, as far as we know, her scenes could all have been left on the floor of the editing room.Maybe Streisand is a prima-donna during the film's making and production process, but standing in the view of a showbiz outsider and a pure spectator, viewing this picture for the first-time, one thing I must admit, she shines in it magnificently, there is no shame to be nitpicking of one's own passion project, after all it is her own reputation and future are at stake, plus being a woman, it does take guts to effectuate the take-no-prisoners modus operandi in this profession, what's why even under a global scale, no other female star hitherto can inherit her mantle, she is indeed the nonpareil Barbra Streisand.

For years I have heard of Barbra Streisand as an iconic and brilliant singer and actress but I can't honestly say that I've seen her in much. I have had very little Streisand experience. Cineplex running the classic movies has been such a great experience for me. I am finally seeing these amazing iconic films that I keep saying I will see but never do. Funny Girl was...simply put...fantastic. Its a moving, often funny, sweet and touching romantic musical that absolutely showcases why it is such an iconic classic. The film is very long, much longer than I think it really needs to be. Its pretty stupid of me to even say something negative about a film that has withstood 40+ years and is loved by nearly everyone but I think the movie could have easily been edited to a much tidier 2 hours or less. There were a few scenes in the film (perhaps carried over from the Broadway play) that were simply unnecessary and felt that way. I definitely enjoyed the first part of the film more than the second but it also has many different tones throughout the movie as well. The start of the movie is more comedic, the songs are more upbeat and there are more of them. The latter half of the film is emotional, even sad at times and has less songs. Regardless this was a stunning romantic film that shows you just about every part of a passionate romance from beginning to end.The person who impressed me most in the film was Barbra Streisand. Her comedic timing was amazing and her performance was absolutely worthy of her Oscar. Fanny Brice is a down to earth girl raised in meagre surroundings with a low opinion of herself. She is also insanely talented and her brash, strong personality rockets her to stardom. She is riveting on screen and her charisma is absolutely undeniable. Not to be outdone Omar Sharif is also excellent. He is suave and cool and also lights up the screen. While it would seem that Streisand and Sharif are not a good match, their chemistry is terrific. Sharif is perfect for the role and his character is so flawed and goes through so much in the course of the film. There isn't a large supporting cast but there are definitely some performances worth mentioning. Kay Medford as Streisand's mother is a lot of fun in a small but noticeable role, Walter Pidgeon as the curmudgeonly theatre producer and Mae Questel as the hilarious and sly Mrs. Strakosh.Director William Wyler is a legend. He has so many classics under his belt that its clear he knows how to create a near masterpiece. I still think the film could have been edited better but Wyler tells his story without holding back any details. This is obviously a musical but at the same time, the songs aren't the driving force behind the story. They have a distinctive place in the film (most cases are while Fanny Brice is performing) and they don't overwhelm the film so even if you're not a huge fan of musicals but love classics then you can still enjoy this!! That being said I loved most of the songs and was perhaps only underwhelmed by that iconic "People who need people" song but maybe perhaps it was only because I was so amped to hear it for the first time in its original content. No matter how you look at it, I loved Funny Girl and loved seeing it on the big screen. If you are like me and had no experience with the Streisand of her day then do yourself a favour and watch this because you will understand a little about why she is such a legend. 9/10

Okay I don't know much about Fanny Brice's life. This movie is quite a tribute to the Funny Lady that had a funny face. In this film, Barbra Streisand earned her Academy Award for playing Fanny Brice from aspiring singer to comedienne and singer on stage. Fanny's brash talent for singing and comedy go hand in hand at a local stage hall before she makes it big with the Ziegfield Follies. The numbers are big splashy musical numbers with lots of dancing, costumes, and scenery. This film has a first rate cast with Omar Sharif playing Fanny's love interest, Nick Arnstein; Walter Pidgeon as Florenz Ziegfield; Lee Allen as her friend, Eddie Ryan; and others to mention. This film has great sets, costumes, and art direction but I felt it was missing something and that was the script. The script was weak without the singing and it could have been better. Anyway, it's a great classic film.