lasttimeisaw American Science Fiction author Michael Crichton's second venture into filmmaking after dipping his toes in grinding out a futuristic WESTWORLD (1973) which is in dire urgency of a retrofit (here comes HBO's popular TV series), COMA is not from his own novels, but transposed from his friend Robin Cook's book (which also receives a TV re-interpretation in 2012), it cleverly taps into a paranoia-driven (our mortal fear about hospital and surgery), conspiracy theory routine that takes place in a major hospital in Boston and is headlined by our tenacious heroine Dr. Susan Wheeler (Bujold).After her best friend Nancy (Chiles) succumbs to a brain-dead coma after a minor surgery, Susan acutely sniffs some goings-on on top of the statistic hokum of bad luck, her pursuance of the truth will duly encounter mounting resistance, but nothing can hold her back, neither the bureaucratic pressure nor a ruthless killer trailing her among the cadaver-riddled hospital rooms in the witching hour. She even goes out on a limb and sneaks into a formidable institution on her lonesome to finally solve the puzzle and miraculously finds an exit route. Yet, just when we are astounded by her moxie and wits, she predictably makes a fatal mistake and throws herself on the mercy of the vile ringleader to be silenced on the operation table by carbon monoxide poisoning, only to be rescued by her knight-in-shining armor in the eleventh hour, as an ostensibly female-centered trend-bucker, that final phallocratic deed is tastelessly self-defeating. What is more excruciating is the portrait of the aforementioned knight, Susan's boyfriend and colleague Dr. Mark Bellows, played by a flip Michael Douglas, often gratingly plays the contrarian whenever a stressed Susan propounds her theory, and Crichton rams the hovering question into his audience by implicating that he might be complicit in the whole backdoor human organ trafficking, simply to pull off the kicker and feather the movie's deceitful macho nest, don't forget, he is the one who would rather staying in his car and leaving Susan alone to visit the sinister-looking facility in the first place, plus, if he were really such a perfect dreamboat, it would not have taken him until that later phase to realize that something is amiss. While it is the imagery of horizontally floating comatose patients (all young, fit bodies, for practical and aesthetic reasons), that chiefly subsists the film's dimmed allure, there is no denying that a pert and competent Ms. Bujold makes for a strikingly sympathetic heroine, in spite of Crichton's carefully veiled comments on women liberation, as Mark frustratingly mutters, he should have fallen in love with a nurse instead, which strikes her as a frigid, lippy woman whose femininity is subdued by her own aptitude. Finally, two supporting turns are worth singling out here, an authoritatively stern Rip Torn can always give us goosebumps even without uttering one single syllable; whereas a blink-refraining Elizabeth Ashley knows perfectly how to put impersonality to the fore, her Nurse Emerson could be intricately computer-manufactured herself, to more align with the drift of Crichton's works.

Antonius Block I'll start by saying there is a plot hole in 'Coma' large enough to drive a giant truck through, which will have almost all viewers absolutely howling. There is also some pretty poor acting from some of the supporting characters, particularly early on in the movie, and an overall feel that makes one think of 'made for TV' films from this time period. Stick with it, it gets better. Lastly, because we know at least most of what's going on pretty early in the film, a good portion of the potential tension is lost.And yet, and yet. Michael Crichton knew a good story when he saw, it and shows us one that was ahead of its time, touching on organ farming and the computerization of hospitals all wrapped up in a creepy conspiracy, and with a little feminism mixed in besides. Geneviève Bujold is fantastic as the surgical resident who early on makes it clear to her boyfriend, another resident (Michael Douglas) that she won't be pushed around in their relationship. She then begins investigating some odd circumstances surrounding patients at Boston Memorial Hospital who unexpectedly go into comas following routine surgeries, including her close friend. Douglas is good, and it's interesting to see Tom Selleck and Ed Harris in minor roles, but Bujold stars here. You can probably sense where the film is going, but it may surprise you a bit along the way, and there are several memorable scenes in the second half. You do have to forgive it for some of its character motivations, but it's well worth watching even close to 40 years later.

mike48128 Of course the novel is better and it loses it's extraordinary level of disbelief, shock and horror if you have seen it before or read the book. It's just like an Agatha Christie "who-done-it". Once you know the killer (and why) some of the "fizz" goes out of it. I saw it on a really big screen. The haunting scene at "The Institute" was burned into my mind forever. It's so unbelievable to see a sea of almost-perfect human bodies "floating" on suspended wires inside of a benign warehouse room that looks like "Costco". It's right-up-there with that old Twilight Zone episode where everyone's face is distorted and normal looking people are considered hideous-looking. Once the method of "murder" (O.K. the victims are only just almost-dead) is discovered, the movie goes downhill quickly and ends soon afterwords, as it should. Nobody believes what is going on and Genevieve Bujold's "young doctor" character almost dies at the hand of the perpetrator, as he tries to cover it all up. How does everybody end up in a "coma" and why? If you don't already know, watch the movie and find out! Featuring a young Michael Douglas and one my favorite character actors, Rip Torn. Sensitive Viewer Warning: some of the surgeries are a bit graphic and the female coma victims are almost naked. Not for the prudish or squeamish.

SnoopyStyle Dr. Susan Wheeler (Geneviève Bujold) and Dr. Mark Bellows (Michael Douglas) are resident surgeons in Boston Memorial Hospital and are living together. Her friend is a patient who falls into a coma after surgery. There has been a series of comas in the hospital. Susan starts investigating and stepping on many toes. Mark plays politics and is pressured to reel in his girlfriend. Susan discovers that all the comas come from one operating room and the patients get transferred to Jefferson Institute for long term care.Michael Crichton directs and adapts the novel by Robin Cook. It's got some very good paranoia thriller vibe during the second half. The first half can be a grind. Crichton is not the best at pushing the pace when the story isn't at its most intense. He could have had some help. Geneviève is not always the most animated actor. Her investigation could have been more compelling. It is an interesting movie with a great twist.