Movie Stats:
Released 1968 (USA)
American, in English (very minor, non-translated French)
Director - William Wyler
Stars - Barbra Streisand, Omar Sharif
Plot Summary:
A biopic, of sorts, of famed Ziegfeld Follies comedienne Fanny Brice (Streisand), specifically focusing on her relationship with Nick Arnstein (Sharif).
Warnings:
Implied sexy times.
Bad Stuff:
I’m sure I’ve complained about this before, but there’s something about the way many 1960s movies were filmed or produced or whatever that they always feel like 1960s films, no matter the time period they’re portraying. I find it super distracting.
I was really disappointed that the film focused so heavily on Fanny’s relationship with Nick. I was more interested in her career. I particularly disliked how it romanticized that relationship (in real life, he was a con artist & a crook). Also, he was her second husband. The film not only fails to mention that, it implies that Nick took her virginity.
I watch a lot of old films, so it’s not as though I’m unused to seeing misogyny, but it seemed particularly rampant in this.
Good Stuff:
It has some genuinely funny moments.
Streisand is a delight.
I loved the big musical numbers set in the Ziegfeld Follies.
About the Performance:
As I said above, Streisand is so much fun to watch in this. She truly commands the screen. However, at no point does she actually “feel” like a woman from the early 20th century, especially not when she wisecracks. I never forgot that I was watching Barbra Streisand playing a character. I’ve only seen a few of her films, but I don’t recall getting that impression of her from the others I’ve seen, so I’m not maligning her as an actress in general. However, I’m not convinced this was her strongest performance, and I certainly don’t consider it worth the Oscar she won for it. (IMDB tells me she tied with K. Hepburn for her performance in
The Lion in Winter. K. Hepburn was robbed.)
Other performances of Streisand’s I’ve reviewed: none.
The Verdict:
I had a lot of problems with it. Most of them are listed above. I’ll add another: it’s way too long (nearly 3 hours). Look, I like Streisand. She’s funny, she has a commanding presence, she lights up the screen, and her singing voice is phenomenal. But I didn’t find her believable as Fanny Brice, and I didn’t find the film believable as a portrayal of early 20th century America. I’m glad I saw this in a “got that famous film checked off the list” sort of way, but I doubt I’ll ever feel compelled to watch it again.
I give it
3 stars.
