Review of Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work (2010) by Patrick C — 26 Jun 2010

For a younger generation who only knows her as a plastic surgery queen on the red carpet, Joan Rivers may seem an odd choice for a documentary. When the scope of her career is laid out in front of you, it's amazing to see how she paved the way for female comedians and why she is truly a comedy icon.

This doc follows her around during the year of her 75th birthday. It exposes her insecurities and furious work ethic (she won't turn anything down for money). Over the year she releases 2 books, attempts to launch a one-woman stage show, and succeeds on the reality show "The Celebrity Apprentice.".

Joan has experienced plenty of tragedy over the years, but it's all informed her comedy and made her fearless when she's on stage. Off stage, it's another story entirely.