mark.waltz 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.

jacklmauro 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.

Clothes-Off There's one big musical number by an otherwise underused Ben Vereen that shows why he became a household name despite little screen work. Oh, if only that sparkle was evident in the rest of this movie! Barbra has one good splashy musical number, and a song toward the end that propels the story to its conclusion (the only song to almost live up to the music in Funny Girl).The character of Fanny Brice is brasher and not as likable than she was in 1968. Even less likable is James Caan as the overconfident producer Billy Rose who shoves his way into Fanny's career and life. Omar Sharif he ain't, but he does have chemistry with Streisand. The fact that Billy insults Roddy McDowall (also underused) in his first scene sets the tone for how he comes across for the remainder of the film, and that's tough to endure. There's also no Kay Medford and no Walter Pigeon. However, if one were to watch this at face value NOT KNOWING that a near-perfect original preceded it--it'd be okay, worth seeing once anyway just to know how Brice's story turns out.As for Sharif reprising the role of Nicky Arnstein, well, his presence only reminds the viewer how much BETTER and more HEART the original film had. Their relationship could not be a more fitting metaphor for this sequel: the magic just isn't there anymore.

dwr246 Poor Fanny Brice. She just didn't seem to have good luck with husbands. First Nick Arnstein lands in jail. And then she ends up with Billy Rose, which is what Funny Lady concerns itself with.As it starts out, it's the Depression. The heydays of Ziegfeld's Follies are gone. And single mother Fanny Brice (Barbra Streisand) is having trouble finding places to perform. After more than a few disasters, she finds herself on the bill at Billy Rose's (James Caan) nightclub. Not having been asked to perform there, she is understandably incensed, but when she meets Rose, sparks of a different kind fly, and she does need the work, after all. Eventually, the two fall in love and marry. But marriage is never smooth sailing for Fanny, who's still battling her demons from her years with Nick Arnstein (Omar Sharif). Can she overcome them, and once and for all let go of Nick before she drives Billy away? This was a good movie, no question about it. It just doesn't quite have the deftness of touch that Funny Girl had. Still, you route for Fanny all the way along as she tries to free herself from her obsession with Nick Arnstein. Along the way, you get some wonderful singing and dancing, especially in the song "How Lucky Can You Get", which starts out as a simple statement, but by the end drips with irony. And you do want to cheer for Fanny when she finally tells Nick off for good, but it turns out to be a Pyrrhic victory. Nonetheless, Fanny still reacts with grace, class, and above all, wit, to what life throws at her.The acting was a mixed bag. Streisand is wonderful, of course. Fanny Brice is a part she was born to play. Sharif is still somewhat stilted, but since he carries less of the movie, it's less of a problem, and actually works well, when Fanny finally realizes how self absorbed Nick is. The main disappointment is James Caan, who is his usual wooden self. While this occasionally works for Billy Rose, for the most part, Caan's reading-off-the-teleprompter delivery just doesn't give you a sense of why Fanny, or any woman for that matter, would find him attractive. Fortunately, Streisand carries the film just fine.It's a fun movie, nonetheless, and it is a delight to see Fanny Brice finally claim her own self. No, it's not as good as Funny Girl, but it's still very good.