Review of Klute (1971) by Kris W — 04 Jan 2011

"Lots of guys swing with a call girl like Bree. One guy just wants to kill her.".

"One man is missing. Two girls lie dead. ...and someone breathing on the other end of the phone." [USA Theatrical].

"You'd never take her for a call girl. You'd never take him for a cop.".

A low-key small town detective (Sutherland) journeys to New York City to investigate the murder of a friend and discovers that both the killer and the victim were clients of the same high-class call girl (Fonda, in an Oscar winninf role). Great 70's thriller also stars Michael Cioffi as a business parter of the missing man and the great Roy Scheider as Fonda's pimp.

Bree Daniel: You're not gonna get hung up on me, are you?

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Bree Daniel: Don't feel bad about losing your virtue. I sort of knew you would. Everybody always does.

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Peter Cable: I have no idea what I'm going to do. I'm so deeply puzzled. I've done terrible things, I've killed three people. Really, I don't consider myself a terrible man, no more than-than others. See, Tom Gruneman had discovered me. We were here on business together and he found me and Jane McKenna in my hotel room. She had become hysterical and she started screaming and I guess I hit her. I don't actually recall, it all happened so quickly. Anyway, she fell and hit her head and that's when Tom came in the room. I guess he must have heard her screaming. But I never understood really why she... she did that, she had never screamed before. And it was the revulsion and the contempt that I saw in his face. And the certainty that sooner or later he would use it against me within the company. And I tried to endure that as long as I possibly could, you see. Just want me to keep on talking, don't you?

Bree Daniel: No, I don't. I do understand, I really do.

Peter Cable: Make a man think that he's accepted. It's all a great big game to you. I mean, you're all obviously too lazy and too warped to do anything meaningful with your lives so you prey upon the sexual fantasies of others. I'm sure it comes as no great suprise to you when I say that there are little corners in everyone which were better off left alone; sicknesses, weaknesses, which-which should never be exposed. But... that's your stock in trade, isn't it - a man's weakness? And I was never really fully aware of mine... until you brought them out.

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Bree Daniel: Tell me, Klute. Did we get you a little? Huh? Just a little bit? Us city folk? The sin, the glitter, the wickedness? Huh?

John Klute: Ah - that's so pathetic.

Bree Daniel: Fuck off!

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Bree Daniel: Men would pay $200 for me, and here you are turning down a freebie. You could get a perfectly good dishwasher for that.

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Bree Daniel: What's your bag, Klute? What do you like? Are you a talker? A button freak? Maybe you like to get your chest walked around with high heeled shoes. Or make 'em watch you tinkle. Or maybe you get off wearing women's clothes. Goddamned hypocrite squares!

John Klute: Okay...

Bree Daniels: I hope this doesn't make my cold any worse.

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Bree Daniel: And for an hour... for an hour, I'm the best actress in the world, and the best fuck in the world.

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John Klute: I understand you use narcotics. Maybe I can have a policeman come here and look at your... arms.

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Bree Daniels: [having sex with a john] Oh my angel! Oh my angel!

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John Klute: Miss Daniels, can I ask you some questions now?

Bree Daniel: [notices Klute's surveillance gear] You bastard! Is this a shakedown, hon'? 'Cause you picked a loser, I don't have it.

John Klute: I'm looking for Tom Gr...

Bree Daniel: [interrupts him] Jesus, do you think I'd still be living in this kip if I was still in the line fulltime? I'd be back on Park Avenue.

John Klute: Can I ask you some questions?

Bree Daniel: Or you'll have me thrown back in the brig, you mean.