I somehow doubt the real Lenny Bruce, shock-comedian of the early 1960s who quickly passed into legend after his self-inflicted death, was so romantically melancholic. Director Bob Fosse's take on Bruce is self-enamored and creepily voyeuristic, with lots of quick cuts and cinematic tricks. Yet on its own show-biz terms, with grubby, sordid underpinnings and rampant self-pity, "Lenny" is a masterful visceral experience. It shoots-up on its own sadness. The controversial comedian's rise to the top, his marriage to a sexy stripper, and his eventual downfall into drugs and court hearings is fascinating to watch, however Dustin Hoffman is arguably too genial and soft as Bruce (Hoffman gives the character a sympathetic center, and some may say this works for the picture). Valerie Perrine is a natural as wife Honey, her blasé, almost indifferent manner and unconscious sexiness is both decadent and appealing. The black-and-white cinematography is terrific, and Fosse really lays on the editing razzle-dazzle, also making good usage of Miles Davis' "It Never Entered My Mind". *** from ****