Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work review

The mark of a truly good documentary is when it can take someone or something you dislike or simply don't care about and actually make you care. After watching "Exit Through the Gift Shop" which is brimming with topics that highly interest me and thus made me love the film and it's subject matter more while viewing it in somewhat of a different light, I then went for "Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work". A documentary chronicling a year in the life of the groundbreaking comedienne/ talk show host/ red carpet interviewer/ plastic surgeon's blooper reel highlight. The result was an entertaining, witty, funny and seemingly truthful look at show business and a dimming star trying to regain her clout.

I grew up long after Rivers had 'peaked' in the entertainment world and thus have always seen her as that frightful looking, loud mouthed woman that talks about fashion while making rough attempts at humor. I was well aware that she had been a stand up comic, but I never really cared to see any of her shtick. However with this film not only did it make you understand where she came from and her importance, but also somewhat sympathize with a comic that in her heart of hearts always wanted to be more. Someone who wanted to be a serious actress. In addition to that it also showed that despite everything she is (to my surprise) funny and witty both on stage and off. Seriously... did not see that coming.

I do find comedians to be interesting people. Stand ups are especially interesting as they really must take a grand leap of faith to get up under those lights and attempt to make people laugh anyway possible. Seeing her life of doing fourth rate venues, attempting to get a new play off the ground and trying to get any work possible is a fascinating look into that two headed monster called show business. Much of Rivers' insights into it all are equally fascinating and most of all seemingly earnest. After all she's been doing this since the late sixties, is still around and living like a queen so she must be doing something right. At the same time we get a look at someone who is pretty damaged. A lot of the film steers slightly away from her various plastic surgeries, only touching on it near the beginning. From what I could gather it all seemingly came from her desire to be loved and how she never felt beautiful. Fairly classic tale of the whole thing I guess so perhaps no further discussion is necessary. Instead it talks about her quick rise to stardom, her falling out with Johnny Carson, NBC and FOX and the death of her husband and what followed. And despite it all... here she still is.

So how is it that Rivers, who is now more of a joke than anything has lasted this long? Because she's a work horse. She's constantly looking for new gigs anywhere possible to return to the spotlight and reinvent herself. In this day and age it isn't impossible obviously. Look at the huge Betty White following that's come around. Do I buy into it? No, but who cares cause everybody else does. Chuck Norris was even a fucking... thing for a while and why?! He can't act, 90% of his movies are shit even on the it's so bad it's good level and he's a fairly boring guy. But hey... if someone like Carlos fucking Mencia can be something of note then I firmly believe that Rivers can arise again as well. Through what though I don't know.

The one flaw that holds the whole film back from greatness is simply run time. It's all really damn interesting and entertaining, but it never seems to have a particular finale in mind until it's splashed upon you. It's inter cut with pieces of Rivers' stand up acts which are sometimes too over the top, but a lot of times far wittier and funnier than A LOT of the shit we hear from Dane Cook or other crap comedians around now. I almost feel like docs like this for other comedians who've lost their way could be a helpful tool for the public to see them in a different, more candid light as well as for them to exorcise some of their inner demons and get them out in front of them (Murphy and Myers, I'm looking at you). Despite all my highly mixed emotions going into the film, I'm very glad I did see it.