Criticized, perhaps correctly, for turning foul-mouthed comic Lenny Bruce into a misunderstood crusader for the right to free speech, LENNY is nonetheless a potent and highly entertaining movie. Dustin Hoffman is brilliant as Bruce and Valerie Perrine matches him as his drug addicted wife Honey. The unlikely director, Bob Fosse, utilizes an interview technique and has those close to Bruce explicate the story. It works well. Bruce Surtee's black and white cinematography is stunning. The jazz clubs and comic dens are eerily photographed. There are shots that resemble the work of Weegee or Diane Arbus. Jan Miner plays Bruce's mother and Gary Morton is a Milton Berle-like comedian in one of the film's best scenes.