i saw this film during it initial release in the theater but have only see it twice since then . it do not get much of a tv life . dustin hoffman be stellar a social commentary or satirist or observationalist or blue language comic lenny bruce . he be nominate for best actor for the 1974 academy award for his role but lose out to art carney for harry and tonto . veteran actor albert finney be also nominate that year but carney win on sentiment and hoffman lose out when he and fellow nominee jack nicholson for chinatown and al pacino for godfather ii split the vote which lead to carney win . valerie perrine in her only oscar nomination of her career be up for best actress . lenny be up for most of the major award include best picture and best director for bob fosse . it be also nominate for best screenplay and cinematography but come up empty in all six nomination . hoffman have just come off play another biographical figure of louis dega in pappion and would be carl bernstein in his his next film all the president men . lenny bruce have only be dead for eight year when hoffman portray him on the big screen so much of the audience know bruce fairly fresh in their memory so to portray a contemporary figure of bruce genius and legend be not an easy role for hoffman to step into but his portrayal of the doomed and controversial comic be compel . fosse and know for his choreography which be still be use in film like chicago year after his death only direct five theatrical film and three of those be musical in sweet charity and caberet and all that jazz so lenny would be the first of only two non musical he would direct and both biography and lenny and star 80. i do not think a a film this have enough to be a best picture but hoffman be deserve of his best actor nomination and arguably should have win the oscar for it . i would give this an 8 . 5 out of 10 and recommend it .