Runtime: 113 minutes
Directed by: Michael Crichton
Starring: Genevieve Bujold, Michael Douglas, Elizabeth Ashley, Richard Widmark, Rip Torn
From: MGM
It wasn't the plan to see two Genevieve Bujold films in the span of a week but as I am me, this was rented on Amazon last month and I had to see it yesterday before said rental expired. For certain there are no regrets having finally viewed this 70's paranoid conspiracy thriller, directed by Michael Crichton yet was written by Robin Cook instead of himself.
Bujold plays a highly-regarded doctor in a large Boston hospital (although curiously there's a notable lack of New England accents heard in the movie...) who romances fellow doctor Michael Douglas in a hot and cold relationship. When her friend dies in the hospital after a routine procedure-and then others such as Tom Selleck pass away also-she notices that something is wrong. Yet, due to her gender the patriarchy don't listen to her, she is seen as “a hysterical woman” and you can't forget the gaslighting either... it is at least easy to root for her. In the past week, I've come to the realization that I should seek more of Bujold's work as like in Obsession she delivered the best performance of the movie.
While the plot is a little far-fetched, overall this was a pretty good time. It has a nice cast (there's also the likes of Elizabeth Ashley, Rip Torn and Richard Widmark... I won't reveal their intentions but on the surface you shouldn't trust characters portrayed by the latter two because they were played by Rip Torn & Richard Widmark) and was nicely directed. In addition, like clockwork Jerry Goldsmith provided a pleasant-sounding score. It has what you expect from this particular subgenre (sneaking around, trying to peek at documents, double crosses, uneasy friendships, etc.) and manages to entertain even if you're like me-along with many others-who hardly knows any of the numerous medical terms that are said throughout.
No comments:
Post a Comment