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Tag Archives: Roy Scheider

Klute

21 Tuesday Feb 2017

Posted by vinnieh in Movie Reviews

≈ 35 Comments

Tags

1970's, Alan J. Pakula, Charles Cioffi, Donald Sutherland, Jane Fonda, Klute, Roy Scheider, Thriller

Film Title

Klute

Director

Alan J. Pakula

Starring

  • Jane Fonda as Bree Daniels
  • Donald Sutherland as John Klute
  • Charles Cioffi as Peter Cable
  • Roy Scheider as Frank

An atmospheric thriller built on prowling paranoia through the direction of Alan J. Pakula, Klute also succeeds at being an unconventional urban drama with two fascinating characters, embodied spectacularly by Donald Sutherland and an Oscar-winning Jane Fonda.

Tom Gruneman; a family man mysteriously goes missing for no apparent reason. After the police have searched and turned up nothing, friend and private eye John Klute steps in and takes the investigation. He is a small town detective with not much experience in big cities, but he still dutifully takes on this case. klute-posterThe only clue as to what might have happened to Gruneman comes courtesy of an obscene letter he sent to a New York call girl. The girl in question is Bree Daniels, who seems to be not bothered about her lifestyle, but inwardly wants to break out from being a hooker and become an actress. In the area she lives in though, this dream is pretty slim which accounts for why she would need to turn tricks. The dependable and committed Klute travels to New York to see what he can uncover with regards to his friend’s disappearance. For a while, he watches Bree before making his presence known and questioning her of what she may know. Naturally defensive, Bree still manages to tell him about a client a few years back who brutally beat her up, but she can’t remember his name. Add to this the fact that she’s been getting cold calls frequently and Klute suspicions are raised. As he investigates and attempts to decipher what may have happened to Gruneman, he starts developing feelings for Bree, who has trouble reciprocating because of how distrustful and complex she is. Yet when a nearby prostitute is murdered and Bree begins to feel isolated, it appears that the crazed psycho may well have her in his sights. Bree is forced to trust Klute, which is something usually out of her remit as the steadfast Klute closes in on the stalker.

Alan J Pakula’s probing direction is a perfect match for the unconventional film that while ostensibly a thriller, reveals a personal drama in a place of seeming hopelessness. He is most adept at constructing paranoia in the viewer, achieved by placing the camera behind an assortment of obscuring surfaces. Surveillance is almost ever-present in Klute; which brings out a voyeuristic deconstruction of a seedy underbelly that the characters here occupy. kluteThe way that the camera stalks and tails Bree is both compelling and alarming, as it places us in the position of the crazed former client stalking the slowly more desperate Bree. While the spine tingling thriller aspects are plentiful and impressively drawn, the real crux and unique point of Klute comes in the characters and the attention it makes for them. The exploration of John and Bree are impeccably rendered and allow them to be characters that fascinate as well as challenge us. This is mostly seen in Bree, who is the focal point and key to the story. What is most enthralling about Bree is that she isn’t really like either of type of prostitute that is often seen in film; neither the hooker with the heart of gold or an emotionless broad. Instead, she occupies the middle ground and that , coupled with her complex relationship with Klute, is the lifeblood of this movie. John is also intriguing for how he manages to stay above corruption with his smarts and common sense, while still attempting to connect with Bree and solve the case. donald-sutherland-and-jane-fonda-kluteSpecial mention must go to the cinematography from the masterful Gordon Willis. He already stands as one of my favourite cinematographers and Klute displays his sublime gift for crafting darkness and shadowy intent. Combined with the piercing and perceptive direction of Pakula, the visual elements place is right in the middle of the strange and ever so unnerving story. Even when there is a spot of brightness in the film, something usually shocking or dark is occurring to offset any relief. A tremulous and minimal score that often echoes with eerie intent is employed to supply sufficient atmospheric impact, which it does it droves.

Klute may be the title of the film, but the main story belongs to Bree and how stunningly Jane Fonda essays the role. She garnered a well-deserved Oscar for playing the brittle prostitute and it’s not hard to see why. jane-fonda-kluteThe character is one of so many angles and contradictions; tough and hard-edged yet achingly vulnerable, openly sexual and yet never really knowing the pleasure of love and seemingly fulfilled but crushed by failed opportunities. For any actress this role would be a high wire act that could have gone wrong, but Jane Fonda’s simply astonishing depth and ability to exhibit all of these traits is really something to behold. I can’t wax lyrical enough about how exceptional her work is here, she just never misses a beat and inhabits the role with a whole bunch of committed emotions, sometimes within a matter of seconds. Donald Sutherland’s wisely understated and stolid playing of the titular private eye is an exemplary counterbalance to Fonda, as he is the one who is doing the digging and managing to somehow remain from getting his hands dirty. In supporting parts, Charles Cioffi as the man Klute reports back to and Roy Scheider as a vicious pimp, do commendable work.

Filled with a piercing and voyeuristic insight into a place of urban and moral decay and exuding some nail-biting suspense, Klute makes a big impact and striking effect as we are invited into this world and behold the fantastic work from the two main actors, particularly a knockout Jane Fonda.

The Russia House

06 Thursday Jun 2013

Posted by vinnieh in Movie Reviews

≈ 12 Comments

Tags

1990's, Drama, Fred Schepisi, James Fox, John Le Carre, Klaus Maria Brandauer, Michelle Pfeiffer, Roy Scheider, Sean Connery, Spy, The Russia House, Thriller

Film Title

The Russia House

Director

Fred Schepisi

Cast

  • Sean Connery as Barley Blair
  • Michelle Pfeiffer as Katya Orlova
  • Roy Scheider as Russell
  • James Fox as Ned
  • Klaus Maria Brandauer as Dante

Based on the book by John Le Carre, The Russia House is a slow-burning spy film with danger, loveThe Russia House and politics all coming to the forefront. Relying on old-school spy conventions such as secret meetings and the handling of touchy information rather than shoot-outs and car chases, The Russia House weaves excellent performances, lushly romantic music provided by Jerry Goldsmith and Cold War intrigue into a smooth and complex thriller, that boasts stunning and authentic locations of Russian cities and monuments.

Barley Blair is the hard-drinking and irascible head of a publishing firm who has a special interest in Russia. At one of his writer’s conventions in Moscow, MCDRUHO EC009he is spoken to by a mysterious stranger called Dante who listens to Barley talk of tension easing with the West. The meeting at first seems like nothing, but it sets in motion a series of dangerous events. A month later, a manuscript is brought to Barley, after being intercepted by the British Government. The manuscript was sent by a Russian book editor named Katya, who insisted it get to Barley immediately. It transpires that the manuscript contains sensitive and explosive information that could alter the course of power between various countries. Barley is then reluctantly hired by the Government in a co-operation with the CIA to track down Dante and find out if the work is genuine or a dubious political pawn. He arrives in Russia where he is met bRussell The Russia Housey Katya, a beautiful and sensitive mother of two who is the linchpin between Barley and Dante. But nothing is as it seems and the case gets more complicated, especially as Barley and Katya fall deeply in love in the process.

If it’s chase sequences, fights and fast cars, then The Russia House may not be for you. But if it’s a slow-burning and subtle spy film with a style reminiscent of old 60’s spy films, then The Russia House will most certainly appeal to you. The use of the beautiful sites of Moscow and St. Petersburg are stunningly shot. Jerry Goldsmith contributes an evocative and smooth jazz score that accentuates the growing attraction between the reluctant Barley and the guarded Katya. In the leading role, Sean Connery expertly shows us a man who has nothing to gain but Barley and Katya The Russia Houseends up losing his heart in the process. He exudes a weariness and reluctance rarely seen in his performances. Matching him every step of the way is the excellent Michelle Pfeiffer, who radiates warmth, beauty but a certain guarded and moving quality. Her Russian accent is a supremely convincing asset to her talent. It is through Katya that Barley and Dante are linked, and we realise the life risking tasks she has undertaken to see Barley. The chemistry between the two crackles with excellent dialogue as we watch them slowly develop deep feelings for one another. Supporting them is Roy Scheider and James Fox as the heads of Government and the CIA, their scenes together show a humorous quality as they often debate the next move in the complex case. As Dante, Klaus Maria Brandauer presents a mysterious figures whose motives are never made entirely clear until the case begins to unwind.

If you’re a fan of Le Carre adaptations and the pace of them, The Russia House is the film for you. A superb espionage thriller with a Cold War sensibility and believable romance, enlivened by two outstanding performances from Sean Connery and Michelle Pfeiffer.

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