Lenny
LENNY (18)
D: Bob Fosse
United Artists (Marvin Worth)
US 1974
111 mins
Biopic
W: Julian Barry [based on his
play]
DP: Bruce Surtees
Ed: Alan Heim
Mus: Ralph Burns
Dustin Hoffman (Lenny Bruce), Valerie
Perrine (Honey Bruce), Jan Miner (Sally Marr), Shirley Beck (Artie Silver), Gary Morton (Sherman Hart), Rashel Novikoff (Aunt Mema), Guy Rennie (Jack Goldstein)
Dustin Hoffman delivers a fantastic performance as
controversial comedian, Lenny Bruce, whose acts, which concentrated more on social commentary than actual comedy, frequently found himself on the wrong side of legality for the
times.
Bob Fosse's film comes with the director's usual style of
juxtaposing show business with more dramatic moments, presenting a faithful biopic of one of the key figures of the late 1950's, whose work contributed to the freedom of speech act as well as
civil rights issues.
8/10
