Review of Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work (2010) by Donna B — 02 Sep 2010

Directed by Ricki Stern and Anne Sundberg, and more documentary than feature film, this is an 84 minute invited exploration into everything that is Joan Rivers. It maps out her career history, reveals her strong work ethic and gives insight to her personal life, her husband Edgarâ??s suicide and her loving relationship with daughter Melissa. She uncovers her working process, showing the extensive file cabinet of cataloged jokes, and admits to desiring and surrounding herself at home with luxurious furnishings. Joan adamantly states that she will â??do anythingâ?? to get work. She has indeed performed a vast spectrum of television shows, comedy clubs and special events, and she proudly peddles an eclectic assortment of products on QVC.

This very film is an obvious example of her â??do anythingâ?? policy. Which isnâ??t to oppose; in fact, I am impressed with her honesty, drive and energy, and her ability to stay relevant in rapidly changing world of entertainment.

On the Diode Scale, I give Joan a 14 carat, bejeweled 10.