STUFF YOU GOTTA WATCH

COMA

(1978)
With Geneviève Bujold, Michael Douglas, Elizabeth Ashley, Rip Torn, Richard Widmark, Lois Chiles
Directed by Michael Crichton
Reviewed by JL

Best-selling author Michael Crichton directed this thriller based on the novel by best-selling author Robin Cook. It's a bit heavy-handed and absurd, and nobody would ever confuse Crichton with a great visual stylist, but Coma maintains an effectively suspenseful and ominous tone throughout. It is also to Crichton's credit that the rather ludicrous revelations of the film's climax are truly horrifying. In the hands of a lesser director, they could have easily veered into the comically camp. At the center of everything is a strong and sensual performance by Geneviève Bujold, one of the most enigmatic and underrated actresses of the last half-century. - JL