Lenny is a 1974 movie directed by Bob Fosse.
WHAT HAPPENS?
The chaos of comic Lenny Bruce is chronicled, including his rise to fame and subsequent battles with censorship.
ONE LINE REVIEW
Lenny is a gorgeous, richly shot movie that features two standout acting performances.
THE ACTORS
Dustin Hoffman and Valerie Perrine give extraordinary performances as Lenny and Honey Bruce.
Hoffman adds a visceral urgency to Lenny’s natural kinetic energy. He’s vibrant and wiry in celebrating Bruce’s non-comformist ethos. As Bruce stumbles deeper into drug abuse and a legal abyss, Hoffman infuses his character with a heaviness and biting doubt. The performance is packed with stellar touches – in one scene he shows his child tenderness – in another, he speaks with the lumbering, confused pauses of a junkie.
Perrine is given space to explore the nuances of an intriguing character. Honey is a stripper molded from an era of pin-up models. She evolves into a sweet if incapable mother before her life spirals into addiction. Her story is told through a series of reflections, where Perrine mixes blissful nostalgia with a painful reckoning that she tries to suppress. It’s a heartbreaking performance.
THE DIRECTOR
Bob Fosse employs a series of flashbacks to tell his story – alternating between the few people who knew Lenny best. The techniques are effective and avoid a straightforward biographical approach. The approach also allows the actors to further explore their characters. The quick cutting between scenes helps the story’s pacing along with the density of detail involved.
However, the most appealing aspects of the movie are its gorgeous use of color and light. Fosse and cinematographer Bruce Surtees create an environment that richly highlights both the grime and splendor of the 1950’s and 1960’s club scene. It’s an incredible tribute to an era that both groomed and changed Bruce.
THE BEST – The Bits
Lenny’s classic routines are the highlights of the movie, including his extended take on the validity of the N-Word. Once a police presence emerges at the clubs, Lenny subverts his censors by performing the “blah blah” show. Hoffman’s energy is so pure during these scenes.
THE BEST Part 2 – Lenny’s Aunt
Jan Miner’s Sally Marr is a scene stealer as she recounts Lenny’s life. She gives her character a Vaudevillian quality – her face is lively and all the world is ripe to laugh at. She impressively darkens her tone in a few scenes, including one where Lenny and Honey are hopelessly adrift in addiction.
THE WORST – Old Comics
It’s easy to criticize from a contemporary perspective, but older generation comics are essentially repugnant creatures. The Sherman Hart caricature – supposedly based on Milton Berle – is manipulative, creepy and wildly void of talent. The contrast of styles between him and Bruce is revealing.
THE WORST Part 2 – Addiction
In terms of movie-making, Fosse doesn’t glamorize Lenny and Honey’s drug addiction. Rather, he details the destructive warping of reality – adding a closing shot of Lenny’s bloated corpse.
FOX FORCE FIVE RATING – 4.5/5
While the subject is fascinating, equally impressive is Lenny’s gorgeous look and tremendous acting. A must watch.
