Louis B. Mayer once said after seeing Greta Garbo leading a conga line that it was as shocking as seeing your grandmother drunk. He may have had a fatal heart attack had he been around to watch Barbra Streisand go from leading lady in three big screen movie musicals to playing an obvious hooker in a foul mouthed romantic comedy he would have burnt before offering to Joan Crawford. Of course, Streisand, affectionately known as Babs, had seen the writing on the box office receipts of other recent musicals, preferring to save her singing voice for the recording studio rather than the movies. Instead of breaking into song on some moving vehicle in every film, she won box office approval by playing wacky independent women with more intelligence than the leading male character believed her to have.
The grand dame of modern gay icons. Babs is a bit shocking as she makes the assumption that her nebbish neighbor (George Segal) is gay, something she throws in his face with great relish and venom. Of course, it's only a matter of time before she learns the truth, parading around in lacy and racy pajamas, certainly not meant to sleep in. It seems out of character for her very flamboyant character to be so verbally hateful towards gay men, especially one she has no proof to back her claim. For most of the movie, Streisand is a bit of a harpy, but manages to instill a level of humor that makes her at least somewhat tolerable. She's particularly funny in a scene where you only hear her voice acting out a porno.
The lack of major supporting players makes it a bit tough on Streisand and Segal to hold all the attention. Their chemistry is iffy at best, although the final confrontation between the two on Central Park locations brings out a lot more vulnerability in each of the characters. Still, the obvious stage origins of the set up detract from the wide screen and makes it truly feel dated.
The grand dame of modern gay icons. Babs is a bit shocking as she makes the assumption that her nebbish neighbor (George Segal) is gay, something she throws in his face with great relish and venom. Of course, it's only a matter of time before she learns the truth, parading around in lacy and racy pajamas, certainly not meant to sleep in. It seems out of character for her very flamboyant character to be so verbally hateful towards gay men, especially one she has no proof to back her claim. For most of the movie, Streisand is a bit of a harpy, but manages to instill a level of humor that makes her at least somewhat tolerable. She's particularly funny in a scene where you only hear her voice acting out a porno.
The lack of major supporting players makes it a bit tough on Streisand and Segal to hold all the attention. Their chemistry is iffy at best, although the final confrontation between the two on Central Park locations brings out a lot more vulnerability in each of the characters. Still, the obvious stage origins of the set up detract from the wide screen and makes it truly feel dated.