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Funny Girl | Year: 1968 Classification: Kategorien - Pop - Mainstream Directed: - William Wyler Actors/Actresses: - Barbra Streisand as Fannie Brice - Omar Sharif The ultimate screen debut... Hello, gorgeous. Funny Girl is the ultimate Streisand film. Barbra's Oscar winning film debut as the Ziegfeld star Fannie Brice has never been in better form. After a frame-by-frame image restoration and digitally remastered audio, this popular musical packs all the glitter of its 1968 premiere. Ray Stark, son-in-law to the legendary Brice, first began working on a screen biography of his famous mother-in-law in 1948, but Brice herself rejected several scripts. Nearly a decade later, he commissioned a new screenplay from Isobel Lennart. When studios didn't bite, Lennart adapted her script for Broadway, with Jule Styne and Bob Merrill getting the nod to write the songs. Stark tapped a young Barbra Streisand, already a Broadway sensation in "I can get it for you wholesale" to play the Brice. The rest is entertainment history. This DVD presentation is spectacular in quality, but its "Special Features" pale in comparison to those of "The Way We Were." The documentaries "Barbra in Movieland" and "This is Streisand" are almost camp in their approach and scope, and I long for a present-day interview (better yet, audio commentary) with la Streisand that would have put the making of this film in better context. I'm hoping her future films, especially her directorial efforts, include a director commentary and background footage. ("Barbra, can you hear me?) That said, Funny Girl is still the centerpiece any Streisand fan's collection. A must have. My most enjoyable cinema experience in years! I had the great fortune to see the theatrical re-release of FUNNY GIRL in Denver this week! I first saw the movie when I was very young, so seeing it now was like seeing it for the first time. I have been more a fan of Streisand pre-1980s than of her latest work, both in music and on film (i.e. The Mirror Has Two Faces.) The newly restored Technicolor print and the remastered sound are in a word, FABULOUS. Experiencing and not just watching, a film like FUNNY GIRL reminds me of the days when Hollywood was really bringing movie magic to the American screen. Alas, those days have passed us by for the most part, when we're saddled with drivel like Pearl Harbor, Shallow Hal, etc. It's not to say there aren't great movies being made anymore, but they are certainly the exception rather than the rule. Streisand truly, truly stands out among all the costumes, glamour and other actors and actresses in the movie. I don't know much of the life story behind Fanny Brice, but Barbra brought it forth beautifully with her enthusiasm, that voice and her smile. The story is involving, the acting terrific, and oh those costumes and sets! The closest movie I can compare this to is Moulin Rouge from Baz Luhrmann, and that still pales in comparison to the artistry that Streisand and all involved made in producing this cinematic gem. The DVD and CD are going on my Christmas wish list now!! A classic! There has never been another Hollywood debut quite like Barbra Streisand's in FUNNY GIRL, and there probably never will be. Everyone knew she could sing beautifully, but this film proved that she was an actress, and a great one! Streisand proves that she is a true star, she is hilarious in the film's uproarious opening and she's absolutely heart-breaking in the dramitic end. She picked up a well-deserved Oscar for her work here. The rest of the cast is also good (Omar Sharif is especially suave in the role of Nicky Arnstein), the production values are high, the music is great, the direction is lively, and the story is touching. But above all else, it is Streisand's versatile and extremely likeable performance that holds the whole film together. Watch to laugh, watch to cry, watch to be entertained. A classic. No one could play the talented Fanny better than Barbra!!! Prior to watching "Funny Girl," I had no idea of who either Barbra or Fanny were. I felt the sentiment and meaning behind the movie (a sweet girl can't get all the breaks--it's either her own professional success on stage or a gambling husband) and am now both a Streisand and a Brice fan. This film is recommended to those either unsure of who the great Fanny Brice was or to those unaware of Barbra's unlimited talents. In reality, it's for all "people, people who need people." Shariff's performance was great as well, as was Kay Medford's, who played Fanny's mother Rose. Ziegfeld will make you laugh and remind you of your grandpa and Barbra will make you giggle and tear up because she is so innocent and yet has such defiance and strength, at least in the beginning. "I'd Rather Be Blue Over You," "My Man," "Don't Rain on My Parade," "People," and "I'm the Greatest Star" are some of the catchy musical numbers in the film. If you don't cry the first time you watch it, rewind it and figure out what you have missed. You'll find that Barbra truly does have "36 expressions," if not a couple more. Watch closely and you'll see them all. The characterizations she uses are amazingly timeless. She'll "light up like a light" in this biographical film. Enjoy. Buy Funny Girl at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.com Jamster - the latest ringtones for your phone!  Search with Walhello on the Internet on Funny Girl Search with the Priority Search Engine on Funny Girl This page in other languages: Suomeksi | Nederlands | Deutsch
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