Review of Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work (2010) by James D — 03 Jul 2010

(Mildly Recommended) I went into the documentary, Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work, expecting to learn more about this comedy legend but I left with very little additional knowledge about her. The film purports to show a warts-and-all view, but aside from the extreme close-ups of a ravished face and an insatiable thirst for attention, there's not much else to observe.

We've heard and seen the cliches about comedians, those lonely souls hiding behind the smiles and laughter, trying to find love and adoration for their audience. Miss Rivers certainly fills the bill. Her obsession with fame and her sacrifice for notoriety are foremost with her lavish lifestyle. Her willingness to do any gig for the spotlight (and the money) are evident and her lack of friends even more so.

The film glosses over the darker side of River's life (her excessive overuse of plastic surgeries, her volatile love / hate relationship with her daughter, Melissa, her ill-fated marriage with her husband, Edgar, which ended in his suicide, etc.) and it neglects to showcase her earlier triumphs and stand-up comedy routines. More emphasis on the latter would have made a stronger film and shone a brighter light on her well-honed flair for comic timing and funny one-liners. (Her scene during one such routine involving a heckler shows Rivers at her best, reinforcing her dedication to her craft and highlighting her quick-witted comic genius.) There is much talk about her carrying the torch for female comics, but not enough evidence to show off that legacy.

I liked the documentary. It's well made and has strong moments that display the comedian's insecurities and emotional mood swings. (Especially effective are her bouts with her manager and other staff members.) But I felt that the directors, Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg could have dug a bit deeper into their subject and used more archival footage to fill in the gaps. (The film seemed like a promising first draft attempt.).

Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work is just that: a work-in-progress about a living work-in progress. Still, the subject is worth another look, if just to view Miss Rivers' unique outrageousness and steely fortitude in this business we call show. GRADE: B-.