The Last Party (1993)

Summary

Documentary about the 1992 U.S. presidential election.

Director

Mark Benjamin, Marc Levin

Downey Factor

Ultimate. This is his movie.

Character

Himself.

Looks

Varies, but ultimately irrelevant.

Performance

The good thing about a documentary is that you get to see people the way they really are.

Line

If you're going to spend all the time and energy to make a film, you might as well have it be something that really reaches out and does more than entertain people. Because uh, because you give a lot of your life to do it, so it might as well really matter.

It's quite a twelve-step platform this year. We have all these recovering men and women. It's kind of like one nation under rehabilitation.

Cast

Interviews include Sean Penn, Oliver Stone, Robert Downey Sr.

Connection

Robert Downey Sr.'s Hugo Pool, Pound, Moment to Moment, Up the Academy, Rented Lips, America, Too Much Sun, Greaser's Palace, in Johnny Be Good and Sr..

Deborah Falconer (ex-wife) in Short Cuts.

Laura Ernst Downey (stepmother) in Too Much Sun.

Richard Lewis in That's Adequate and Hugo Pool.

Mary Stuart Masterson in Chances Are.

Sean Penn in Hugo Pool.

Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers.

RDJ Says

Never need to go to another convention, thank god ... I was such a total ignoramus about not even politics, but anything that had to do with anything else except my own selfish interests. I just thought it would be a really cool opportunity. I learned a lot, and at the same time, in the aftermath, I realized I was all fucking gung-ho about Clinton. There was that bias in the documentary. I was just jumping on the bandwagon. That's what I learned the most from it—a year later watching it.

Time & Place

Filmed in 1992 in many locations, including Los Angeles, the Democratic convention and other spots in New York, and the Republican convention in Texas

Availability

Released in theaters 27 August 1993. Rare, available on VHS and some online streaming services. Not released on DVD or Blu-Ray.

Critical View

Stephen Holden, New York Times: More than an interviewer, Mr. Downey has the impossible task of being the emotional and spiritual grounding wire for the film, which [was] directed in the style of a jeans commercial on MTV.

David Hunter, The Hollywood Reporter: One's reaction to the film depends on how well one responds to Downey. Rarely do stars open up as he has in this film. Both in what he says and what he shows the audience, Downey appears to be unencumbered by concerns of career or public opinion. Vulnerable and fearless in turn, he never passes for a real journalist, but [conducts interviews without] worthless puffery or ideological myopia.

2 Reasons to See It

1. Take a trip back to the political landscape of 1992.
2. You shouldn't even call yourself a Robert Downey Jr. fan if you haven't seen it.

Overall

Even if politics bore you, this one is definitely worth checking out.

If You Like It

You might also like Oppenheimer (2023), Sr. (2022)

Photos

Video