"Funny Lady", a continuation of the life of singer-comedienne Fanny Brice begun in 1968 with "Funny Girl", is a smashing good time: a musical-comedy with exuberance, raucous wit, sentiment and bittersweet romance. Barbra Streisand is back as Fanny, involved romantically with sparring-partner/producer Billy Rose (James Caan), but still carrying a torch for ex-husband Nicky Arnstein (Omar Sharif returning, this time with a sinister sheen). At one point, realizing Arnstein has no heart to give her, Fanny walks down a hotel corridor singing, "I'll be damned, I have been damned, but I won't be damned anymore!" This is a great moment for "Funny Girl" fans, to see Fanny come full circle in her feelings for this man whom she held up on a pedestal. James Caan peddles his scenes a little softly--almost sheepishly--and once the two leads get married, the narrative becomes squashed and the heartbreak feels forced. The screenplay is factually inaccurate (to put it mildly), but Streisand is in high-gear nearly throughout; meddlesome, bitchy, soft and sexy, a smart-ass, she's the reason people went to see "Funny Lady" in 1975 and she's still a great reason to go the movies. ***1/2 from ****
Review of Funny Lady
