Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work

I'm not saying this will be the first and last documentary I ever review, but don't be surprised if it is. I never liked Joan Rivers. She just annoyed me, and she looked funny. It wasn't until I watched her on The Celebrity Apprentice did I grow a fondness for the woman. She's rude, crass, says what's on her mind, and she revolutionized comedy for women to the point of banishment from several clubs. She is a brilliant American and now I cannot get enough of her. She has the "shock" factor. By that I mean you never know what she is gonna say or who she will offend. This film documents her struggles as a stand up comedienne going strong with 40+ years in the business. I enjoyed the time frame it spanned. It's short at only 90 minutes, I actually didn't want it to end. It begins before her Celebrity Apprentice fame and ends well after. Its amazing to me how hard she has to work. She works that hard for a couple reasons. She needs the cash, and she doesn't ever want to be forgotten. She is a very vain woman. I still can't stand her daughter Melissa, but what are you gonna do. The documentary shows so much awesome vintage footage of her stand up act back in the 60's, 70's, all the way to present day. The segment on how NBC, (or Johnny Carson) black balled her from ever appearing on that network was astounding. Celebrity Apprentice was her first appearance on the network since she pissed off Carson. She was his co-host and friend, but when someone offered her her own show she jumped at it. Expecting him to be happy for her as they were such close friends, he actually never spoke another word to her EVER. He felt betrayed. It took a year and a half to film the footage that only spans 90 minutes. To hear her comedy today and see her act decades ago, you realize why she is so special. She will make a grown man blush without even trying. She will piss people off, but she doesn't care. That's why she has lasted. Thick skin, and a brilliant wit, along with an insane work ethic, I don't see her stopping any time soon. This Doc made me realize if she is ever in town or nearby doing her act, I won't miss it. She is a living legend and at her age, you just never know how much longer she will be around. Its such a fun movie to watch. It feels like you are watching a comedy show with reality mixed in. Her joke catalogues are the craziest thing I've ever seen. She has every joke she has ever written logged away and categorized like a library does with its books. Amazing film, and an amazing lady.

NBM rates Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work - Phenomenal

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