Product: Funny Girl [VHS] (1968)
Rating: 4.0
People who see Funny Girl are the luckiest people .....?
This is a great restoration of the original movie. And though I love Barbra Streisand, movie musicals in general and "Funny Girl" in particular, it really isn't for everybody.Streisand gives her second most charming movie performance ever in this her debut (after "What's Up Doc"). All the tics and mannerisms which later became tedious and uninspired, but here are fresh and engaging, are present. The deep emotive sighing, the schtick (which she's somehow lost along the way), the kooky grin and histrionics. Yes, it's a powerhouse performance and proves the old cliche that it takes a star to play a star, but the movie consists of almost 3 hours of unadulterated Streisand and no-one else really gets a look-in. This seems very one-sided even to this Streisand fan. There's no-one to balance her and enhance her performance which would have added a lot to the movie.This is Babs's movie all the way - great if you're a Streisand fan. If you're not, stick with "What's Up, Doc" where Bogdanovich surrounded the diva with a great comedic ensemble thus enhancing Barbra's presence rather than diminishing it.As for the story, it's hokey in the extreme - a 1930's backstage musical stretched from 90 minutes to almost double that time. This is mitigated by Streisand's sheer willpower to make it as a star, particularly in the first half ("I'm the Greatest Star" and "Don't Rain on My Parade" are the two standout numbers both musically and cinematographically). I can't fathom what Herbert Ross and William Wyler were thinking of in the staging of "His Love Makes Me Beautiful". It looks like a tawdry 60's Las Vegas Revue filmed for the prurient US television networks and boy does it go on.The remastered color and widescreen shots are first-rate. However, I found the remastered sound on the strident side especially when La Streisand lifts off in either song or dispute.Yup a great addition to the Streisand catalog. But be warned very long and overly indulgent to its star.