People we like: Genevieve Bujold

Genevieve Bujold - there's a name to conjure with. Born in Canada in 1942, she has been one of the most individual actresses/stars since she began in the '60s with De Broca's KNAVE OF HEARTS opposite Alan Bates, and in Resnais' LE GUERRE EST FINIE with Yves Montand and Ingrid Thulin. Then of course that breakthrough role as Anne Boleyn in that dull pageant of a costume movie, ANNE OF THE THOUSAND DAYS, but she was excellent in it.
She was Heston's mistress in the entertaining EARTHQUAKE, but for me her best role is in DePalma's terrific Hitchcock pastiche OBSESSION, in 1976. To me its as important as TAXI DRIVER and it also has a late great Herrmann score. She is ideal as the girl Cliff Robertson meets in Florence who is the image of his dead wife, and whom he brings back to New Orleans, only to find....... Genevieve is terrific in the two roles and really makes it work, as does John Lithgow's fascinating villain. Genevieve is also super in Crichton's COMA as the plucky doctor uncovering just why so many people go into comas at her hospital - Michael Douglas is her rather dull boyfriend and Richard Widmark runs the hospital, while Elizabeth Ashley guards the sinister facility where the bodies are kept in suspended animation. There is that very tense sequence where she evades the prowler sent to keep her quiet... There were also a pirate caper with Robert Shaw, movies with Clint Eastwood and Jack Lemmon, and of course Cronenburg's masterly DEAD RINGERS with two Jeremy Irons. She is also marvellous in those Alan Rudolph films CHOOSE ME, TROUBLE IN MIND and THE MODERNS, and there is a routine thriller FINAL ASSIGNMENT with Michael York which I have got but not seen yet.

I also liked her in that charming take on westerns by Claude Lelouch, ANOTHER MAN ANOTHER WOMAN, with James Caan in '78 - a sort of variation on his UN HOMME ET UNE FEMME success of the '60s, and of course she is also terrific in the little-seen THE TROJAN WOMEN in '71 as Cassandra with that powerhouse cast including Katharine Hepburn, Vanessa Redgrave and Irene Papas.

She seems to be somebody who did not let the industry rule or ruin her, but works on her terms [she exited a STAR TREK series after one day! after realising it was not what she wanted] and walks away from all the hoopla and red carpet nonsense, like Julie Christie, Sarah Miles and a few others. Viva Genevieve - I love her looks and quirky manner, nice to see she is keeping busy and trust she finds suitable roles as she ages.