Klute

May 7, 2005 - This 1971 murder drama stars Jane Fonda and Donald Sutherland. Roy Scheider, pre-Jaws, has a smaller role. Jean Stapleton also appears briefly.

Sutherland plays the title character, John Klute. He's a cop from Tuscarora, PA, hired by a businessman to find out what happened to the man's co-worker. The search leads Klute to New York City and a hooker named Bree Daniel (Fonda). Bree is trying to make it as an actress, but she saves her best acting for her clients. She falls in love with Klute, but isn't sure she wants to give up control of her life to be with him. For Bree, controlling her johns is the one thing she has going for her, but Klute is the one "John" she can't control.

The drama unfolds as Bree learns that one of her former hooker pals is dead. Another is killed soon after Bree and Klute track her down. This makes Klute fearful for Bree, and he realizes that the real threat is not the guy he's supposed to find but the guy who hired him.

Overall review: *** Jane Fonda won an Oscar for this role and she deserves it. It's hard to tell where the real Bree ends and the acting Bree begins. The movie also holds up well despite being made in 1971. I suppose if there's a downfall it's that we know who the killer is well before Klute does. The murder mystery is really just background noise for a love story.