Review of Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work (2010) by Jiana W — 11 Apr 2012

It's interesting to have this view of how show business works. While I don't find Joan Rivers gut-bustingly funny (very few comedians are), I appreciate the fact that she was the pioneer of female comedians and wasn't afraid to take risks and make jokes that made people uncomfortable.

She was being taboo and pushing boundaries back in a time when women weren't encouraged to do things like that. This documentary follows her as she fights to keep getting work and book gigs. Throughout it, I actually felt sorry for her at certain points because her work is what fulfills her and she strives to remain relevant in the changing times.

If she doesn't get gigs, if there's too much white space in her schedule, she freaks out. I've seen hard-workers before but it feels different here. It's a little sad to see someone SO defined by their work that it's really all they have and if they lose it, who knows what'll happen.

It becomes very obvious that she is also painfully insecure. She is a vocal advocate and supporter of plastic surgery, and she's gotten multiple surgeries to boot, but it still hurts her when people make inevitable jokes about the work she's had on her face.

You feel sorry for her at her roast because she goes in knowing her feelings are going to be hurt, and somewhat nasty things are going to be said to her (in jest of course), but she puts on a smile anyway.

It's a very intimate documentary that showcases an interesting paradox of a woman.