I hate to say it but the casting is both the success and failure of this film. Well, not completely. The script would still be just standard Hollywood melodrama even with different actors but the casting goes wrong in multiple ways and ends up being the most notable thing about the movie. There are two big ways that the casting sticks out.
The first is with Kris Kristofferson. Now the problem with Kris is not that he is bad. The problem is really just the opposite. He's effortless. It doesn't feel like h is acting, mostly because the role isn't a big stretch for him. He really is a great rock star so playing the frontman soaking up the praise of impossibly large crowds. This wouldn't be a big issue if it wasn't for the next way the film's casting fails.
The second failing is with Barbara Streisand. Unfortunately, she just never seems like the sort of rock-star/pop-star extraordinaire that the film portrays her as. This is doubly felt because even as she struggles to pull this off believably, she's standing next to Kristofferson who does it almost absentmindedly. It casts a spotlight on Streisand and how out of her element she is in that sort of venue.
On top of all that, the two of them are not at all a natural feeling couple. The whole time they are together I kept wondering why they were into each other. From what I can tell, Streisand is supposed to be, and is, much younger than Kristofferson but that doesn't change the fact that Streisand doesn't look that much younger than Kristofferson. Movies are a visual medium. The visuals are important and the fact that she doesn't look the part is a problem. I'm sorry.
The biggest problem with this film really is the story. I understand that some films are supposed to be a classic retelling of a reoccurring story and theme but this film seems to take the emotion of the moment for granted. It's as if the director read the script and simply shot the intimate emotional scenes with an attitude like 'well people are being this movie for the stars and the singing so let's get through all the talking bits and to the songs." Umm. Problem. If you don't like Streisand (which I don't) then there is nothing to latch onto.
The love in this film doesn't feel special. In fact, I feel like most couples I know fall harder for each other than these two do. Romeo and Juliet is the classic it is because they don't just say they would die for each other. They actually do. The couple here feels like they might not even care enough to take out the trash or do the dishes for each other.
The first is with Kris Kristofferson. Now the problem with Kris is not that he is bad. The problem is really just the opposite. He's effortless. It doesn't feel like h is acting, mostly because the role isn't a big stretch for him. He really is a great rock star so playing the frontman soaking up the praise of impossibly large crowds. This wouldn't be a big issue if it wasn't for the next way the film's casting fails.
The second failing is with Barbara Streisand. Unfortunately, she just never seems like the sort of rock-star/pop-star extraordinaire that the film portrays her as. This is doubly felt because even as she struggles to pull this off believably, she's standing next to Kristofferson who does it almost absentmindedly. It casts a spotlight on Streisand and how out of her element she is in that sort of venue.
On top of all that, the two of them are not at all a natural feeling couple. The whole time they are together I kept wondering why they were into each other. From what I can tell, Streisand is supposed to be, and is, much younger than Kristofferson but that doesn't change the fact that Streisand doesn't look that much younger than Kristofferson. Movies are a visual medium. The visuals are important and the fact that she doesn't look the part is a problem. I'm sorry.
The biggest problem with this film really is the story. I understand that some films are supposed to be a classic retelling of a reoccurring story and theme but this film seems to take the emotion of the moment for granted. It's as if the director read the script and simply shot the intimate emotional scenes with an attitude like 'well people are being this movie for the stars and the singing so let's get through all the talking bits and to the songs." Umm. Problem. If you don't like Streisand (which I don't) then there is nothing to latch onto.
The love in this film doesn't feel special. In fact, I feel like most couples I know fall harder for each other than these two do. Romeo and Juliet is the classic it is because they don't just say they would die for each other. They actually do. The couple here feels like they might not even care enough to take out the trash or do the dishes for each other.