Harsh, funny, grim, and, like all Bob Fosse's films, primarily concerned with the intersection of life and showbiz. Fosse's followup to the masterly CABARET, LENNY proves that it's not easy to be ahead of your time. By today's standards, much of what Lenny Bruce said on stage would be
unremarkable, and it's still debatable whether the comedian was crushed for his irrepressible foul mouth or his subversive (if not exactly profound) social commentary. Either way, his customary mode of agonized self-analysis was irresistible to director Fosse, who was to use similar techniques in
filming the story of his own life, ALL THAT JAZZ.
The film begins with Lenny's courts...
Released:
1974
Rated:
R
Length:
111 mins