The Owl and the Pussycat

Buck Henry's skilful adaptation of Bill Manhoff's Broadway hit about the abrasive encounter (mental and physical) between an illiterate tart and an intellectual pseud. Neil Simon territory, sometimes tiresomely raucous and treading well-worn paths, but any tendency to sentimental whimsy is kept firmly at arm's length by the verbal fireworks. Brilliant performances from Streisand and Segal, each timing their lines with the knife-edge precision that used to be the glory of the Tracy-Hepburn partnership.