Lenny
Dir: Bob Fosse
1974
*****
Lenny is the stylish biopic of the controversial Lenny Bruce, the first comedian to push the boundaries of acceptability. The film is beautifully shot in stark black and white, the bold contrast is effective in both power and in showing the story as a historical document. It's not often said but I believe this is one of Dustin Hoffman's greatest performances, it's certainly his most overlooked. Bob Fosse's theatre work and his musicals are famous but I would argue that Lenny, his one and only non-musical film, is just as impressive. In many respects it helped him branch that gap between theatre and film and without Lenny we wouldn't have the amazing All That Jazz. All that aside, this is an authentic biography of the life and work of one of the world's greatest comics that leaves nothing out and stays true to the man. Valerie Perrine's performance is also fantastic (although whenever I see her I just want to shout "Miss Teschmacher". It's a fantastic film, with every element deserved of more praise in my opinion.