Joan Rivers -- A Piece of Work / Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work (2010) follows the writer-actor-comic around the time of her 75th birthday (she turned 77 this past June). One comes away with a sense of what it's like to put yourself out there all the time, maintaining a high profile enterprise. The film is very well executed, edited, arranged, and shot. I loved it and hope to see it again in the near future.
The strongest comics are sharp, exceedingly smart, often angry people well-attuned to culture and daily life, aren't they? Though many burn out from the stress, Joan Rivers is a survivor, and still going strong. Her brutal quips seem to never stop, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. One of the many things I like about this documentary is the interweaving of clips going back decades, connecting her to the old school scene as well as the here and now. It rocks -- and so does Joan Rivers.
Today's Rune: The Mystery Rune.
6 comments:
Erik, this one I will see. Joan makes me giggle like a fool!
I like Joan Rivers pretty well. Did you see her that time on Nip/Tuck?
Heard the documentary discussed on the Slate Culture Gabfest, which is a great listen each week. Haven't had a chance to see it. It was playing in Port Townsend, WA when we were there a few days but didn't have a chance to catch it.
Hey y'all, thanks for the comments!
Jodi, me, too. Charles, haven;t yet seen Nip/Tuck. Sidney, must check it out -- thanks for the tip'
Joan really seems to have kept it together well. I remember reading something by George Carlin (written toward the end of his life.) I was looking forward to his wonderful wit, but what I read was more like venom. Nice to know that Joan's managed to avoid that.
Sorry to have missed this one. DVD, I guess.
Post a Comment