HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABS! And yes, I might have missed her birthday for a day, but don't hurt me - I was buisy. Anyways, even though I did miss it, it still needs to be celebrated, since she is one of the very few last living legends of film. Babs first came on the Hollywood radar with her Oscar winning turn as Fanny Brice in 1968's "Funny Girl", but even though she did win for that movie, I believe she did better in another one. Presenting, My Top 5 Favorite Barbra Streisand performances:
1. As Dolly Levi in "HELLO DOLLY" (1969) - My favorite Babs performance is that of matchmaker, Dolly Levi. Barbra was astonishing and the role fit her perfectly. Streisand made the lavish musical, even more lavish with great vocals and 100% character transformation. Her "loud-mouth" performances full of pride and no-insecurities made Dolly Levi more fun to watch. She delivered a performance superb for a big, glorious musical comedy. She was zestful, exuberant, funny and her vocals are: WOW!!! Not giving Streisand an Oscar nomination for this movie is a damn crime and utter shame...
2. As Fanny Brice in "FUNNY GIRL" (1968) - When she first appears on screen you see a mellow woman and you don't know why. A few minutes later, you see a girl - "who isn't pretty". A few more minutes into it, you see a powerhouse - opening her mouth and making full magic with the song "I'm the Greatest Star". A few hours later, you are blown away with an amazing acting force, combined with brilliantly performed numbers such as "I Rather Be Blue" and "Second Hand Rose" (comic brilliance), "People" (sentimental and lovely) and "Don't Rain on My Parade" (Daymmm). When the final moment comes on screen ("My Man"), everyone knows why Barbra Streisand gave us one of the best female performances in history.
3. As Katie Morosky in "THE WAY WE WERE" (1973) - In an Oscar nominated turn, Streisand's performance in "The Way Were" is the only non-musical performance on the list. Her pairing with leading man Robert Redford is great and they have a lot of chemistry. This movie proves that Barbra can do anything and not sing to be good in a movie. The storyline is perfect - without her, the movie would be half as great...
4. As Esther Hoffman in "A STAR IS BORN" (1976) - Yes, her performance doesn't match Judy Garland's performance in the 1954 version, but if someone would have to be in the remake, they choose the pefect actress for the rock version. The songs and performances are great and hard-knock, while the acting is all-round splendid. Once more, her "love-interest" pairing with Kris Kristopherson was a perfect match.
5. As Daisy Gamble in "ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER" (1970) - Actually, the only good thing about the movie. If she wasn't here, it wouldn't have worked. But with her personality, acting, and voice, the movie was saved from doom and the bashing of ME. Streisand's screentime is golden and irrestistable, making it a performance to remember. The rest of the movie = zughsss.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABS! And yes, I might have missed her birthday for a day, but don't hurt me - I was buisy. Anyways, even though I did miss it, it still needs to be celebrated, since she is one of the very few last living legends of film. Babs first came on the Hollywood radar with her Oscar winning turn as Fanny Brice in 1968's "Funny Girl", but even though she did win for that movie, I believe she did better in another one. Presenting, My Top 5 Favorite Barbra Streisand performances:
1. As Dolly Levi in "HELLO DOLLY" (1969) - My favorite Babs performance is that of matchmaker, Dolly Levi. Barbra was astonishing and the role fit her perfectly. Streisand made the lavish musical, even more lavish with great vocals and 100% character transformation. Her "loud-mouth" performances full of pride and no-insecurities made Dolly Levi more fun to watch. She delivered a performance superb for a big, glorious musical comedy. She was zestful, exuberant, funny and her vocals are: WOW!!! Not giving Streisand an Oscar nomination for this movie is a damn crime and utter shame...
2. As Fanny Brice in "FUNNY GIRL" (1968) - When she first appears on screen you see a mellow woman and you don't know why. A few minutes later, you see a girl - "who isn't pretty". A few more minutes into it, you see a powerhouse - opening her mouth and making full magic with the song "I'm the Greatest Star". A few hours later, you are blown away with an amazing acting force, combined with brilliantly performed numbers such as "I Rather Be Blue" and "Second Hand Rose" (comic brilliance), "People" (sentimental and lovely) and "Don't Rain on My Parade" (Daymmm). When the final moment comes on screen ("My Man"), everyone knows why Barbra Streisand gave us one of the best female performances in history.
3. As Katie Morosky in "THE WAY WE WERE" (1973) - In an Oscar nominated turn, Streisand's performance in "The Way Were" is the only non-musical performance on the list. Her pairing with leading man Robert Redford is great and they have a lot of chemistry. This movie proves that Barbra can do anything and not sing to be good in a movie. The storyline is perfect - without her, the movie would be half as great...
4. As Esther Hoffman in "A STAR IS BORN" (1976) - Yes, her performance doesn't match Judy Garland's performance in the 1954 version, but if someone would have to be in the remake, they choose the pefect actress for the rock version. The songs and performances are great and hard-knock, while the acting is all-round splendid. Once more, her "love-interest" pairing with Kris Kristopherson was a perfect match.
5. As Daisy Gamble in "ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER" (1970) - Actually, the only good thing about the movie. If she wasn't here, it wouldn't have worked. But with her personality, acting, and voice, the movie was saved from doom and the bashing of ME. Streisand's screentime is golden and irrestistable, making it a performance to remember. The rest of the movie = zughsss. 
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