I was sorting through some old memorabilia this weekend and stumbled across some stuff saved from a show I reviewed at the National Theatre in D.C. while I was in law school - the embarrassing and justly long forgotten FUN CITY (Alex Cohen produced it in New York for 16 previews and 9 official performances at the MUCH lamented Morosco Theatre, Jan. 2 - 8, 1972) - but it reminded me that I wanted to mention to the IMDb a funny/sad but undeniably fascinating documentary on the main co-star and co-author of the unlamented FUN CITY currently running in New York, JOAN RIVERS: A PIECE OF WORK (directed by Riki Stern and Anne Sunberg best known 'till now for their previous film festival success).
The documentary follows Rivers for a year in her recent life during which she maintained as much of a non-stop work schedule as she could (undercutting the value of her commercial endorsements by openly saying she'd shill for anything for a buck), dealt with the never explained disappearance of her long time friend and manager, and attempted a run at the Edinburgh Festival (with great success) and in London of a supposedly autobiographical play (from the clips shown, it looks like every expense was spared from the British production) that she claimed to want to bring to New York - but was terrified of repeating her still painful experience in FUN CITY. Ironically, the film makers, while emphasizing how much Rivers cares about getting the respect she deserves as an actress, never MENTION her earlier stint as a replacement in Neil Simon's Broadway BOUND (as the mother) in which the critics fell all over themselves justly praising the lady, or her more recent stint in her own SALLY MARR AND HER ESCORTS which at least received respect (and a Tony Nomination) if not commercial success. (Rivers' acting has always been strongest in other people's work, having never learned the knack of writing a sustained narrative for all her sharp caustic wit in briefer or unstructured formats.)
While uneven in its story telling (the documentary raises many issues in Rivers' life and presents contradictory responses to them, from maintaining her extravagant home to her career choices and love affair with plastic surgery - in later life her unnatural dimples start to make her resemble the model for Wayland Flowers' alter-ego, "Madame" although at the same time she's one of the few personalities big enough to carry off the QVC costume jewelery she touts and looked great in throughout the film), the documentary does not shy away from some of the massive career missteps the lady has made. The failed Fox Talk Show which mentor Johnny Carson viewed as a betrayal and got her effectively banned from NBC for years front and center among them (her odd decision to go against much advice and appear on Donald Trump's "Celebrity Apprentice" seems to have been mainly to get back on NBC). It also wisely includes a healthy sampling of her ongoing club work, reminding her fans why they were first drawn to the lady's razor sharp wit as a writer/performer. The sequence apparently intended to show Rivers' passion and pain where she deals with a heckler when delivering "edgy" material in a conservative venue goes on MUCH too long (especially since we are never allowed to hear the "joke"!) but over all we are given an 84 min. look at a comedy icon's public and private life (or as much as she's willing to share).
I suspect that outside major cities and "festivals," this will be a hard item to find even once it's released on video (in Manhattan in first release it's only in a couple places), but anyone who has heard of Joan Rivers will find it worth seeking out both for its comedy memories and its unblinking look inside a life in "the business." It's no panegyric; the film is a decidedly mixed look at this particular "Piece of Work," but it's still strongly recommended for what it is. It's nice to know the lady is still in there swinging.
The documentary follows Rivers for a year in her recent life during which she maintained as much of a non-stop work schedule as she could (undercutting the value of her commercial endorsements by openly saying she'd shill for anything for a buck), dealt with the never explained disappearance of her long time friend and manager, and attempted a run at the Edinburgh Festival (with great success) and in London of a supposedly autobiographical play (from the clips shown, it looks like every expense was spared from the British production) that she claimed to want to bring to New York - but was terrified of repeating her still painful experience in FUN CITY. Ironically, the film makers, while emphasizing how much Rivers cares about getting the respect she deserves as an actress, never MENTION her earlier stint as a replacement in Neil Simon's Broadway BOUND (as the mother) in which the critics fell all over themselves justly praising the lady, or her more recent stint in her own SALLY MARR AND HER ESCORTS which at least received respect (and a Tony Nomination) if not commercial success. (Rivers' acting has always been strongest in other people's work, having never learned the knack of writing a sustained narrative for all her sharp caustic wit in briefer or unstructured formats.)
While uneven in its story telling (the documentary raises many issues in Rivers' life and presents contradictory responses to them, from maintaining her extravagant home to her career choices and love affair with plastic surgery - in later life her unnatural dimples start to make her resemble the model for Wayland Flowers' alter-ego, "Madame" although at the same time she's one of the few personalities big enough to carry off the QVC costume jewelery she touts and looked great in throughout the film), the documentary does not shy away from some of the massive career missteps the lady has made. The failed Fox Talk Show which mentor Johnny Carson viewed as a betrayal and got her effectively banned from NBC for years front and center among them (her odd decision to go against much advice and appear on Donald Trump's "Celebrity Apprentice" seems to have been mainly to get back on NBC). It also wisely includes a healthy sampling of her ongoing club work, reminding her fans why they were first drawn to the lady's razor sharp wit as a writer/performer. The sequence apparently intended to show Rivers' passion and pain where she deals with a heckler when delivering "edgy" material in a conservative venue goes on MUCH too long (especially since we are never allowed to hear the "joke"!) but over all we are given an 84 min. look at a comedy icon's public and private life (or as much as she's willing to share).
I suspect that outside major cities and "festivals," this will be a hard item to find even once it's released on video (in Manhattan in first release it's only in a couple places), but anyone who has heard of Joan Rivers will find it worth seeking out both for its comedy memories and its unblinking look inside a life in "the business." It's no panegyric; the film is a decidedly mixed look at this particular "Piece of Work," but it's still strongly recommended for what it is. It's nice to know the lady is still in there swinging.