For those of you who just see the superficial, tabloid side of Joan Rivers, it is certainly time that you take a second look. In the new documentary JOAN RIVERS – A PIECE OF WORK viewers get a look into the life of the legendary comedian, and the woman she really is.

The movie follows Rivers as she prepares to debut her new play overseas, partially because she doesn’t want to debut it in the United States for fear that American critics won’t give it a proper chance due to her reputation. She addresses being made fun of due to her plastic surgery and because of her age, and her biggest fear, which is a blank calendar. At age 75 she is addicted to working. There is no job that she will turn down, and speaks of a good calendar is one that is filled up with jobs that are overlapping each other on the pages.

There are some really fascinating clips of her early on in her career, and stories of how she shot to fame on “The Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson. She even discusses their falling out after she was offered her own show, after years of being his sidekick on “The Tonight Show”, and how, until “The Celebrity Apprentice” she hadn’t been allowed on NBC since.

We also get a glimpse into her charitable side, as the cameras follow her on Thanksgiving to show her delivering meals to sick individuals before coming home to serve a big dinner to family, friends, and even people in her building that have nowhere to go for the holiday.

Her humor is AMAZING! I had never witnessed any of her stand up until seeing this documentary and I have a new respect for her. She is hilarious. Rivers was extremely controversial for her time because she talked issues, such as abortion and sex, that women just weren’t suppose to talk about at the time. Just don’t talk to her like her career is in the past or she will go ballistic!  She gets irate when people say that she paved the way for other comedians, because she feels that she still IS paving the way!

You also really get to see the personal side of her, that is hurt by all of the mockery, and the lack of recognition for all of her hard work. She didn’t even want to do the Comedy Central Roast dedicated to her because she did not want to be made fun of. It’s pretty well known that most comics are rather insecure people who thrive off of the attention and ability to make people laugh. The way Rivers sees it is to make the audience laugh with or at her while she is at least laughing too!

Her strength and drive to work is absolutely inspiring. She is staying in this business and will not go quietly! This movie demands the view to see Rivers in a while new light, and I think it is about time!

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars