Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work (2010)

Again, I am a sucker for a documentary and this one was recommended to me by Entertainment Weekly so when I saw that it was on Instant Netflix last night I had to check it out. I should start out by saying, I am a fan of Joan Rivers. I have always liked her, starting way back when she used to sub for Johnny Carson, and into the early years of the red carpet shows. There was a period when I thought perhaps she should retire from those red carpet shows, and then once she did....I totally missed her. She is foul mouthed, offensive, brutally honest sometimes, but I think beneath it all, she is pretty funny. This was a very brash, raw and revealing film that documents Joan Rivers life in her 75th year. It shows sides of her I was surprised to see (including a glimpse of her before her make-up) I learned a lot about her, how important working is to her, the suicide of her husband Edgar, her very obvious insecurities and the falling out she had with Johnny Carson. I loved this movie. I think it made me think of her a little differently, realizing that she is more than just the character she seems to be playing when on-screen. To stop focusing so much on her plastic surgeries and remember that she paved the way for so many female comediennes that wouldn't be where they are today if someone hadn't walked that path before them. I love that she stays so busy at her age, and doesn't want to give up. I love that she says exactly what she thinks, even if its not a popular opinion. I thought this was a great documentary. Oh, be prepared for vulgarity and offensive jokes, this is not for the faint of heart (or small children) its definitely rated "R".

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1568150/