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.
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.