With the media in full reality overdrive, it’s refreshing to see an unflinching documentary that delves into what it’s really like to be famous. “Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work,” which opens to a limited run this Friday, is an intimate and intriguing look at a year in the life of the comedic pioneer. The film opens with a close-up on Joan Rivers, sans makeup, and we are subtly informed that this will be not your typical fluff piece, but a more pointed look at the woman behind the face. Rivers, who became synonymous with plastic surgery in the 1980’s, bravely exposes herself warts and all for the filmmakers and the audience. It’s obvious why this film was one of the standout offerings of the festival season with its earnest look at the pop culture phenomenon that is Joan Rivers.
The woman who famously asked, “Can we talk,” does just that in ‘APW’ and relishes in being the first person publicly to discuss anything taboo. Be it plastic surgery, suicide or aging, if it’s on her mind, and she think it’s on yours, it will be a topic of discussion. Filmmakers Ricki Stern and Anne Sundberg, were eager to have a complex female subject for their next film and felt Rivers was a perfect fit. Stern said Rivers “was turning 75 and it was a time in her life where she was owning her age publicly and she thought, what the heck, let’s go for it”. Rivers was eager to be Stern and Sundberg’s pawn, giving the filmmakers carte blanche in the 14 months they followed the comedian during what turned out to be one of her most successful years to date. For folks only familiar with her red-carpet coverage and multiple plastic surgeries, this is a compelling look at an artist who made it by making fun of herself and celebrity.
Juxtaposed between archival footage and early interviews, we watch Rivers as she struggles to remain relevant, a word she desperately wants others to describe her as. The comedian, who scoffs at the idea of being considered a pioneer, would work 48 hours straight if there was a venue that would have her. While filming, Stern and Sundberg had to actually leave Rivers during one of her many cross-country ventures, as they were just too tired to keep up. ‘APW’ looks at both the physical and the mental toll her struggle for success has taken on Rivers. Comedians, specifically of the stand-up variety are known to be insecure, but you can see that criticism really sits with Rivers, who fears that even at 75 she will never be taken seriously. Comedy for Rivers evolved from a gig to pay the bills while struggling as a dramatic actress to what she describes today as an industry and it seems that poor critiques she received back in the early 1970’s still resonate. Rivers attempts to battle those demons with a new play, based on her life, which receives rave reviews at the Edinburgh Festival and harsh critiques during it’s a limited run, she decides to end the play to avoid being attacked once again by Broadway critics. Rivers routinely worries about her age and her inadequacies, which seems to cripple the performer as she prepares a set for an upcoming Kennedy Center ceremony honoring George Carlin. Rivers fears she won’t be able to compare to writing staffs of Jon Stewart, Bill Maher and Garry Shandling, as she writes her own material, the comedian is near tears before her performance. Be it the effect of aging or just her constant battle with her self-esteem, Rivers seems never quite happy with herself, acknowledging that she is her own biggest critic.
Rivers was also fearful of appearing on NBC’s “Celebrity Apprentice”, where she eventually took the top prize, alongside her daughter Melissa. Beyond her being the oldest contestant by nearly 30 years, this would be Joan’s first appearance on NBC since being blacklisted from the network in 1987 after a crippling fall out with her one-time mentor Johnny Carson. For those of you unfamiliar, the friendship led to a trailblazing late night gig on Fox, which then led to her being blacklisted. Soon after, her husband Edgar Rosenberg, was fired as a producer from the Fox program and committed suicide. So it’s easy to understand why Joan might not have run to NBC, but she looked at it as an opportunity to be with her daughter, to make amends and most importantly, pay the bills. As we learn, Rivers is willing to do anything and everything that it takes to maintain her success. Joan’s act, and it’s all hers, is one of connection and revelation. Rivers is famous for pulling no punches and speaking candidly about subjects generally untouched by others. And having had the opportunity to interview Joan about the film, what you see in “A Piece of Work” is what you get in real life. She feels “lucky and blessed” that she has been able to make a successful career out of what she loves to do the most perform on stage and that on a given day “there are people being paid to talk about” her. “The joke comes first” according to Rivers and she has no issue poking fun at herself, friends and others. Rivers hopes to outlive everyone in comedy and still be performing at 100, and with her strength and tenacity its seems more than possible. This film is a poignant look at celebrity, its parallels to aging, and what it takes to survive and succeed in entertainment. After the film, it’s hard not to be enamored at River’s strength, as a woman, a mother and foremost a pioneer. Just don’t call her that to her face. [A-]