Synopsis
Desperate to quit smoking, kooky (ditzy? annoying?) Barbra Streisand turns for help tohypnotist Yves Montand. She is an extremely receptive subject, as Montand accidentally put herunder when she visited his class. Under hypnosis, Streisand regresses into past lives, andMontand starts to fall in love with the 19th-Century Englishwoman Streisand becomes.
There are some funny elements here (Montand’s reactions to the first past-life regression aremost amusing), but the…exercise is far too long, and the songs are dispiriting (though in the spiritof full disclosure, I must confess that I am long way from being a fan of Streisand). In sum, thisis not director Vincente Minnelli’s finest musical.
Audio
The choices here are between the original mono and a new 5.1 mix. The latter does well bythe music, with good front and rear separation and placement, and the vocals sticking, as theyshould, to the front. That’s about it as far as surround effects go, however. There are no soundeffects to speak of.
Video
The colours are vivid (especially the reds), but are also a little bit on the dark side. Theblacks are good, and the grain and speckling largely disappear after a slightly dodgy opening.There is a little bit of flicker now and then, as well.
Special Features
None.
Closing Thoughts
There is some amusement to be had, but all involved have done much stronger workelsewhere.
