|
| Movie Review: Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work Alternate Title: A Work in Progress
Story: I guarantee you that
when you leave the theater you will have a different impression of Joan
Rivers than you did before you entered the theater. This is NOT the
Joan Rivers that you hate to watch on that proverbial Red Carpet. Deftly
and objectively directed by Ricki Stern and Annie
Sundberg and written by Ms. Stern we get to meet a woman, who
at then age 75 (now 77) has more energy than most people half her age.
We get to see how Joan Rivers thinks, emotes,
creates and runs her life. She has no plans to ever retire and spends
most of the film hustling for more gigs, commercials and new opportunities.
She writes a play, competes in Celebrity Apprentice and financially
supports a huge number of people. Using terrific file footage we watch a very young
Joan Rivers with Jack Paar and Johnny Carson. We get to see Joan at
her best and at her worst. She invites the crew to film inside her apartment
which is an eye popping hoot. One of my favorite lines (and there are
plenty of belly laughs in the film) is when she says as she is showing
off her NYC apartment "this is where Marie Antoinette would live
if she had the money." Take a break from political correctness and go
see this vastly entertaining film. Watch the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKl021VLhuk Acting: It is a documentary - so this category does
not apply.
Trivia: Joan Rivers was born in 1933 in Brooklyn,
NY. Her given name was Joan Alexandra Molinsky . She
is of Russian-Jewish heritage. She graduated from Barnard College. She
is the national spokesperson for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Started
performing as a stand-up comedienne using the stage name Pepper January.
About 1982, she was appointed the first permanent guest hostess on "The
Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" (1962). She infuriated Johnny
Carson when she left to host her own show, "The Late Show"
(1986) on rival Fox network. Johnny Carson never spoke to her again.
Predilection: None
Critters: Joan's dog.
Food: A Thanksgiving feast and food delivered to
homebound AIDS or other ill patients.
Sex Spectrum: Hysterical jokes about sex - but none
to watch.
Opening Titles: The opening sequence is a close-up
of Joan getting her makeup put on for a gig. A bit scary - but you get
used to it.
Visual Art: Her apartment is visually quite something
to see.
Theater Audience: A fairly crowded Chelsea crowd
for the first show on a Saturday morning.
Sappy Factor: 0
Quirky Meter: 0
Squirm Scale: 0
Drift Factor: I did not drift.
Oscar Worthy: No
Big Screen or Rental: You could easily watch this
on the small screen but I always recommend the BIG screen.
Length: 90 minutes
LOBO HOWLS: 8 |