Product: Funny Girl [VHS] (1968)
Rating: 5.0
The Last Best Star Plays One of the First
How appropriate that Streisand brought this role to us. She appeared on the scene just after the end of the great musicals and great musical stars, so it is no surprise that she is our connection to those movies and that time. Her performance as Fanny Brice, though lacking much connection to the reality of Brice's style or life, also bridges the gap between old time and new style musicals. The emotional, idealized treatment of the material suited her talents perfectly. In my opinion, Streisand's closing number in this film, "My Man," is what clinched her Best Actress Oscar. Also in my opinion, it is one of the three most electrifying moments ever caught on film. (Judy Garland's "The Man that Got Away" from "A Star is Born" being the second. I'm still deciding on the third ...)