Lenny
"A Brilliantly Conceived And Executed Film!" -Judith Crist, New York
Two-time Oscar®-winner Dustin Hoffman brings controversial '60s comedian Lenny Bruce to life in this "landmark" (Variety) film that earned six Oscar® nominations, including Best Picture. "A jagged portrait of a man driven to mainlining honesty into the arteries of a hypocritical culture" (Newsweek), Lenny is "artful, imaginative (Los Angeles Times) and truly an "extraordinary film" (Saturday Review)!
From his first gig as a nervous Catskills comedian, it's obvious that Lenny Bruce is a force to be reckoned with. Armed with a shocking routine and a stripper as his muse (Valerie Perrine), Lenny turns comedy - and America - on its ear with his abrasive and often offensive humor. But life in the smoke- filled bars of the comedy circuit begins to take its toll. The drugs and arrests for his subject matter wear heavily on this maverick crusader... but don't stop him from pushing the envelope right to his tragic and myth-making end.
Member Reviews
Stands the Test of Time - PrinceofIdleness
I saw this film twenty years ago and thought it was pretty good back then. Saw it again yesterday and cannot get over how truly great it is. The performances are all top-rate, even the minor characters. And Valerie Perrine is devastating as Honey. The fake "documentary" format tells the story concisely, without sentiment. It's perfect.Could Have Been Better - newdaysof
Dustin Hoffman is one of my favourite actors and he does a brilliant job of portraying Lenny Bruce, but that doesn't make up for the poor directing job of Bob Fosse.
The camera work, the lighting, the editing, the sound is the work of a rank amateur. In an effort to get a "feel" of the 1960's nightclub scene, the director lets quality suffer, and not in a good way - the extreme and unnecessary closeups, bad lighting, erratic camera work, strange camera angles just don't work.
Having said all that, the script and storyline are satisfactory and give a brief but succinct portrayal of Lenny Bruce - a comic genius twenty years before his time.One Of The Better Biopics - Radio_Jane
With the outrageous cult following Bruce developed after his death and the ridiculous hero status he is given today, it is not surprising that his life was the subject of a movie. What is surprising is that it turned out to be so well done. The artistry of the film, as well as what may be the best performance of Hoffman's career, make this a brilliantly done film. I do not see Bruce as a hero, and I believe that if we arrested a few more people for word crimes today the world would be a better, cleaner place, and it saddens me that a man who chose to fight against common decency has become such an icon. Needless to say I went into this film without any great expectations. I was pleasantly surprised. It is filmed completely in black and white, and done as an interview/retrospective that serves to illustrate the characters and events surrounding Bruce's life. Even toward the end, where he is fighting his legal battles,Hoffman keeps the character sympathetic, and you truly believe that he deeply cared for what he was fighting for. There is a lot of graphic talk and drug use, as well as a chilling shot of Bruce's dead body. However, I don't find these shots gratuitous at all. If you love well done Biopics as I do, you will enjoy this movie
Member Reviews
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Stands the Test of Time - PrinceofIdleness
I saw this film twenty years ago and thought it was pretty good back then. Saw it again yesterday and cannot get over how truly great it is. The performances are all top-rate, even the minor characters. And Valerie Perrine is devastating as Honey. The fake ...Could Have Been Better - newdaysof
Dustin Hoffman is one of my favourite actors and he does a brilliant job of portraying Lenny Bruce, but that doesn't make up for the poor directing job of Bob Fosse.
The camera work, the lighting, the editing, the sound is the work of a rank amateur. ...One Of The Better Biopics - Radio_Jane
With the outrageous cult following Bruce developed after his death and the ridiculous hero status he is given today, it is not surprising that his life was the subject of a movie. What is surprising is that it turned out to be so well done. The artistry of ...