Excellent Thriller
Set in NYC, Jane plays a hooker that is being stalked. A great thriller, with Jane at her sexy best. Donald Sutherland is great as a torn detective as well. Get it!!!

Excellent Thriller
Directed by Alan Pakula, "Klute" is an excellent thriller filmed on location in NYC. "Klute" has the necessary components for a successful thriller: a person we really care about who is in horrific danger--Jane Fonda in an award-winning role as the "prostitue with a heart of gold"; a hero to the rescue--Donald Sutherland as the small-town cop in the city to save the street-wise Fonda; and a really twisted, menacing bad guy, played well by Charles Cioffi, outstanding character actor of the 70s. Ms. Fonda adds depth to a streotype role. She is an aspiring actress who faces constant rejection. She tries to rationalize her resort to prostitution to Sutherland, but we can see in her face, in her eyes, that she doesn't really believe herself. And she caustically rejects small-town Sutherland, but we know how that relationship will end up. Ms. Fonda is absolutely superb in this complex role. Sutherland as the cop is, I think, miscast here. He is one of my favorite actors, but I associate Sutherland with the role of the insider who cooly explains sinister political plots and realities, e.g., in "JFK" and "Citizen X." But he's OK. But McQueen or David Jansen, maybe. The most important component of the thriller is the bad guy or gal. The most effective are those who are assumed to be good people, but who in chilling speaches reveal just how twisted and evil they are. Prime examples are George Brent in "The Spiral Staircase" and Joseph Cotton in "Shadow of a Doubt." Charles Cioffi is quite effective in "Klute." He is the staid, respectable businessman. But in the climatic revelation to the threatened Fonda, he reveals just how twisted a sexual predator and killer he is. But oh so cool and in control! Finally, Director Pakula has instilled a sense of unease throughout the movie, which is vital to its success: the playing of tape recordings, the sound of someone on the roof, foreground shots of the killer looking, looking, obsene phonecalls. Fans of thrillers won't be disappointed with "Klute."

Warning: this review contains no puns about skin Klutes.
Klute (Alan J. Pakula, 1971)

Pakula's second film, Klute is considered one of the classic pieces of seventies cinema, but as another reviewer recently said, "Klute is one of those films you always hear about but never actually watch." The penultimate script for both Andy and Dave Lewis (the latter's final script was for the disaster-of-the-week flick City of Fire; the former's final script was for the potboiler Big Rose: Double Trouble. In an odd coincidence, both films star Shelley Winters.) was Oscar-nominated for best screenplay, losing to Paddy Chayefsky's The Hospital. Jane Fonda, of course, took home the other Oscar the film was nominated for-- Best Actress.

The story follows private detective John Klute (Donald Sutherland), who's been hired by businessman Peter Cable (Charles Cioffi) to find a missing business partner. Klute's invesitgation takes him to New York City, where he traces the missing guy to high-class prostitute Bree (Fonda). Klute and Bree start working together, but the closer they get to figuring out what's going on, the more people start turning up dead.

As a mystery/thriller, it's certainly not bad. It does seem to overplay the whole frankness approach, which could be considered a side-effect of the time the film was made (remember that in 1971, the MPAA had only been around for three years, and mainstream filmmakers were still far more interested in pushing the boundaries than they are today); looking back at it from this distance, it makes the film appear somewhat dated. Still, if you ignore that, it's a well-shot film with a passel of good-to-great performances (Roy Schieder is fantastically grungy in a small role as Bree's pimp/swinger friend Frank Ligourin). Hard to believe Pakula, who would go on to direct some of the seventies' finest Hollywood efforts, was still basically a rookie here. Worth watching, if you can track a copy down these days. ***

An American Movie Classic
Who would have thought that the gal who played the ultimate cheesecake role as outer space babe, Barbarella, a few years earlier would be capable of such a magnificent performance as her in the role of alienated prostitute Bree in Klute? This is an updated noir crime drama the way it should be done but rarely ever is. Visually and compositionally "smart" and sensible, and interesting, never over the top, never draws attention to itself stylistically. Noir-like in its use of natural lighting and locations. Subdued but effective musical score. No, this film isn't a, "... it was Colonel Mustard in the library with the rope" whodunit. You know, pretty much, who the killer is fairly early on. It's an excellent, well-written, impeccably photographed and directed character study with some potent performances. Overshadowed by Fonda, is the mysterious edge of the titular character, played by Donald Sutherland. What draws him to her? What's the attraction on a psychological level (the physical is obvious)? Where do they connect? You know all about Bree in this film, while Klute remains a mystery. At the films ends you're left wondering what their life will be like, will this last? Excellent American movie classic that has aged remarkably well.

"JANE, I'M SHIPWRECKED 'ON GOLDEN POND'"
The Vietnam era establishment went absolutely ballistic when Fonda won an Oscar portraying "call girl" Bree Daniels, being stalked by a former deranged "customer". While father, Henry, was likely aging overnight at the controversy, Bree was being aided on screen by a mysterious private eye, John Klute,alias Donald Sutherland, who's also been trying to tie together several missing persons who've all had past links to the stalker. Ms. Daniels' persistent psychotherapy sessions,self prescribed, to ascertain the motives of her vocation, seem to be progressing, but are of absolutely no use when her persuer is nearby,accompanied by eerie background music. Not to give away too much, but the final minutes are conclusive, yet non-conclusive. By all means, purchase a copy for first rate, post-Vietnam entertainment.