Based on a short story that first appeared in WEIRD TALES in
1948, DOMINIQUE is an interesting thriller/mystery that features not just a
decent story but an outstanding cast as well. Certainly by 1978 when the movie
was made Cliff Robertson and Jean Simmons were no longer the major box office
attractions they once were but that doesn’t stop them from providing great
performances in a film others might have written off.
Dominique Ballard (Simmons) is an emotionally troubled woman
married to David (Robertson). David is not the ideal man to help her either,
more inclined to pay her little attention and more to spur her on to an
emotional extreme. David fires her chauffer and hires a new one, Tony (Simon
Ward). Tony helps her when she goes out as well as around the house.
It isn’t long before Dominique takes her own life, hanging
herself in the garden of their palatial home. Of course all of this was planned
carefully by David in order to inherit her wealth and save him from his own
incredibly poor business deals. Now content to have her money he retains Tony
for now and invites his half-sister Ann (Jenny Agutter) moves in as well.
But soon strange things begin to happen. David hears the
piano playing in the middle of the night, by itself and playing Dominique’s
favorite song she used to perform. He begins seeing her astral form roaming the
house as well with no one else to confirm or deny what he sees. And when the
cemetery manager calls him about a new headstone near that of his wife, his
own, with a date coming near he’s more concerned than ever.
David and Tony dig up Dominique’s grave to find it empty.
Now he suspects that she never really died and is trying to drive him mad. But
when he has the body exhumed she’s back in the coffin. If not Dominique driving
him mad then who? Or could it be that Dominique is actually seeking vengeance
from beyond the grave?
The movie is a nice little thriller that has a slow and
steady pace but not one that makes the film seem boring or tedious. Instead it
unravels the tale a bit at a time and draws the viewer in to try and solve the
mystery that it presents. The ending is not a complete misdirect but a final
twist will make it one you don’t see coming.
The film was directed by Michael Anderson who was also known
for films like THE SHOES OF THE FISHERMAN, AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS and
LOGAN’S RUN. His skill shows as he takes what could have been an incredibly
cheesy film made on a miniscule budget and gives it the gloss and texture it needs
to become a more intense and creepy film. While not taking place in the misty
moors of some foreign country the movie does fit into the gothic genre and does
it well.
Robertson to my knowledge has never given a bad performance
and his abilities are clearly on display here. Simmons, who had been such a
huge star earlier in her career, was now making little more than TV episodes
and mini-series. For her to have a lead like this shows the faith of Anderson
in her as an actress. Ward and Agutter are for the most part solid but wasted
here with little to do.
Vinegar Syndrome is releasing the film to blu ray for the
first time with a 2k restoration of the film giving it the polished look that
it deserves. It shows why they are one of the top companies around saving films
like this from the demise that they once would have suffered, gone and
forgotten by fans who once viewed them first on late night TV. In addition to
the restoration from the 35mm negative of the film there is an audio interview
with actor Michael Jayston who appears in the film, an audio interview with
assistant director Brian Cook, the original theatrical trailer and reversible
artwork.
If you’ve never seen the movie it’s an enjoyable film that
will entertain you start to finish. If you remember seeing it in the past,
perhaps under the other name it was released as DOMINIQUE IS DEAD, then now is
your chance to enjoy it once again.
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