Dominick Dunne: After the Party (K. de Garis and T. Jolley, 2008): Australia

Reviewed by Kathleen Amboy. Viewed on DVD.

Dominick Dunne, for those of you unfamiliar with the name, is an author of several true-life crime novels such as A Season in Purgatory, and Another City, Not My Own, and is also a writer for Vanity Fair magazine.  Dunne acts as correspondent for V. F. on high-profile courtroom trials such as The Menendez Bros., O. J. Simpson, and more recently Phil Spector.

Dunne is a raconteur of sorts amongst the celebrity elite; mixing with the best he acts as both confidante and investigative journalist.  In his earlier career, he was an obsessive person that chased after elusive celebrity, hobnobbing with the likes of Natalie Wood, Rock Hudson, Liz Taylor and Jane Fonda.  When the celebrity lifestyle caught up to him at 50, he hit bottom from alcohol and drug abuse.  Dunne was then forced to examine himself and re-invent his persona, and at 82 he has experienced celestial highs as well as degrading lows in his life.

Dunne started out in show business first as a stage manager, then moved up to a T. V. producer, and finally ended up as a film producer.  He has had first-hand experience in the criminal courtroom, when in 1982 his 22 year old daughter (actress Dominique Dunne) was strangled by a former lover.  Attending her murder trial on a daily basis, Dunne used his notes to draft his first article for Vanity Fair – Justice: A Father’s Account of the Trial of his Daughter’s Killer.  He once again became obsessed with celebrity culture, but of the criminal element, and now assumes the role of victim’s rights advocate.

Dominick Dunne: After the Party follows Dunne through the Phil Spector trial.  Phil Spector was a famous and prolific record producer from the 60’s, who created the “Wall of Sound.” He also appeared in Dennis Hopper’s 1969 cult classic Easy Rider, and is now on trial for the 2003 murder of Sunset Strip’s House of Blues’ hostess, Lana Clarkson.

Australian filmmakers Kirsty de Garis and Timothy Jolley, provide a balanced portrait of Dominick Dunne.  There is a montage of photos and 8mm clips from happier times, interspersed with interviews of celebrities from his era, as well as one-on-one interviews with Dunne himself, all set against the backdrop of the Phil Spector trial.  Although the cinematography appears a bit crude at times, keep in mind it is a low-budget documentary.  The film is both honest and reflective; a glimpse into the pitfalls of celebrity-dom.