Quick Movie Review: Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work (2010)

Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work (2010)

Bottomline: Fascinating look into the world of an iconic comedienne and all around interesting person.

Where Can I See This? It is available for rent on DVD.

You Must Listen to: Joan River’s Grammy-award winning comedy album, What Becomes a Semi-Legend Most? (1983)

QMR Opinion: When I was in high school, there were some comedy albums that I just wore out – anything by Steve Martin, Richard Pryor and, yes, Joan Rivers. Her comedy album, What Becomes a Semi-Legend Most?, won a Grammy and is easily one of the funniest comedy albums of all time. So it was with some bias that I watched this good documentary. At the time the doc was filmed, Rivers turned 75 and, let’s face it, the woman is a survivor. Yes, I know she’s become a punchline thanks to an addiction to plastic surgery but she has managed to survive and come out on the other side. If you enjoy getting an unvarnished look behind the scenes of comedy (and I do), this doc offers a terrific look at that. Rivers is one of the funniest people on the planet, but, as the Steve Martin album says, Comedy Is Not Pretty. We get a look at Rivers’ early career, her spat with Carson, her career valleys, and her career highs. There are incredibly vulnerable, touching and poignant moments – especially when she recounts her husband’s suicide. Kudos to Rivers to laying herself bare. Oh. . .one piece of advice. . .DO NOT heckle Joan Rivers. She ripped some poor guy a new one in the Midwest. Wow.