The Movie: Lenny (1974)
What Is It?: Bob Fosse made his name in musical
theater as an actor, dancer and choreographer, and his cinematic work followed
suit when he directed and choreographed the musicals Sweet Charity and Cabaret.
A biopic about a comedian may seem an odd choice for Fosse’s third directorial
effort. It all makes sense when you see it. Lenny
is a musical without a single musical number. Everything from the editing to
the actors’ movements appears expertly choreographed, the rhythms flowing from
one potentially jarring time jump to the next with the abandon and perfection
of a John Coltrane riff. Dustin Hoffman as Bruce and Valerie Perrine as his
wife give landmark performances: Hoffman’s final contempt-of-court monologue is
one of the truest things on film, and Perrine’s interview sequences don’t
betray a splinter of artifice.
Why Today?: Today
is National Tell a Joke Day.
