JANE FONDA as Bree Daniel in KLUTE (1971)

JANE FONDA

JANE FONDA as Bree Daniel in KLUTE

“You never want to play a bad actor in film”. I think Dustin Hoffamn said that – and he outta know, he to learn the hard way. He played a great actor in Tootsie- Genius. Paid off in spades…and then play a bad actor in ISHTAR and almost destroyed his career,

You see my point.

In this film you see the Hooker try to be an actress and she’s not a very good Actress, but she’s a great hooker. Wow! It’s Jane Fonda - who knew? It’s Jane Fonda!

Henry’s daughter… A great, really great f-ing actress. Probably surpasses her Dad in this one. It happens. Good for her. She’s out and in raw rare form here.

Fonda plays troubled / angry New York City call girl Bree Daniel, who finds herself in the middle of an investigation by small-town private eye John Klute (Sutherland). Klute’s businessman friend has been missing for months, and he thinks Bree is at the center of it. As the lanky detective investigates, he gets involved in a sordid web of murder and with Bree, who uses sex as a way to assert herself over her array of insecurities.

Fonda gives her Bree , a sort of nervous intense center, that keeps her so firmly locked into a film character that the character actually seems distracted by things that come up in the movie. You almost have the feeling, a couple of times in KLUTE that the Fonda character had other plans and was just leaving the room when this (whatever it is) came up. Great acting tip: Don’t play the scene – play the scene that’s happening out in the hall.

Lots of research and deep emotional work by Fonda and it shows. She seems possessed in this film and it’s tiniest moments shine better then the big ones. I like that Jane Fonda plays her anger and never really backs down from that – ads to it and polishes the rage but doesn’t ever play weak. True, that’s how these ladies of the evening are…someone did their homework.

Bree is further developed in scenes showing her trying to get out of the trade and into something straight. She takes acting lessons, she auditions to model for cosmetics ads. She talks to her shrink (in scenes that sound improvised and exhibit Fonda's undeniable intelligence). I describe this ambitious undertaking from Jane Fonda as a lesson in authenticity. If you don’ know – go find out. She did her research from what I’m told and it shows and shines. Sympathetic with arrogance. (opposing forces working - yet again – attention actors)

Hard, cynical and brittle without feeling the need to back down and apologize or be forgiven. It’s a unforgettable performance in an otherwise forgettable film. You see that haircut and you think ‘Hanoi Jane' and that's a shame. You need to see that haircut and think of Alan J. Pukula’s terrific thriller and Jane Fonda’s killer Bree in KLUTE. That’s all that matters, good solid work.