this biopic about shock comedian lenny bruce be bob fosse followup to his well received 1972 film cabaret . i be pretty sure that lenny be a financial bomb and and i be not surprise . it a relentlessly depressing and ugly film and despite the stylish polish fosse give it . anyone who have see fosse last film and star 80 and know just how nihilistic this director could be and and lenny show evidence of that . it be a fascinating film though and in it own way . fosse use a documentary like approach and complete with black and white photography and a narrative device in which we see bruce long suffer love ( play heartbreakingly by valerie perrine and lex luthor bikini clad girlfriend in superman [ 1978 ] ) tell bruce story to a filmmaker while the actual event themselves be play out a flashback . fosse be fond of this confessional type of storytelling and would use it again in all that jazz ( 1979 ) . dustin hoffman be simply sensational a bruce while he utterly disappear into this caustic character until no trace of hoffman the actor be leave . technically and everything about the film be highly accomplished and but it so desolately grim a to be off put . grade represent b plus .