Directed by Alan J. Pakula Klute works, but sometimes it feels like it shouldn't. It's an investigative thriller named for the investigating cop, John Klute (Donald Sutherland), but he's not even the main character. That would be Bree Daniels (Jane Fonda), a call girl who serves as Klute's best bet to track down the man … Continue reading Klute (1971)
Jane fonda
The Morning After (1986)
Directed by Sidney Lumet There's a little bit of Sunset Boulevard to The Morning After, a film about an alcoholic actress struggling to leave the spotlight. She meets a younger man who is instantly attracted to her. In this case, though, they also have to deal with the dead man in her bed. What makes the film … Continue reading The Morning After (1986)
Coming Home (1978)
Directed by Hal Ashby Hal Ashby once worked as an editor under William Wyler, and Coming Home has a lot in common with Wyler's The Best Years of Our Lives (1946). Both are anti-war films concerning the tough readjustment into society for several returning veterans. Ashby's film tells this tale through a romance between Sally Hyde (Jane … Continue reading Coming Home (1978)
Nine to Five (1980)
Directed by Colin Higgins The first person we meet in Nine to Five is Judy Bernly (Jane Fonda), overdressed and over prepared for her first day of work as a secretary at Consolidated Companies, placed in a fairly intimidating but nondescript office building. It's one of those corporate jungles which would later turn into the mind-numbingly mundane … Continue reading Nine to Five (1980)
Hal (2018)
Directed by Amy Scott Hal is a wonderful little documentary if only because so much of Hal Ashby's life feels as of yet unearthed. Or maybe that's just my perspective. Hal Ashby (1929-1988) was one of the best directors of the 1970s. A former editor, mythologized for how he would work nonstop, in a cloud … Continue reading Hal (2018)
The Chase (1966)
Directed by Arthur Penn It's hard to keep track of all the goings on in Arthur Penn's The Chase. What begins as a slow burn soon erupts into pure chaos as a small Texas town loses its mind while awaiting the arrival of an escaped criminal, Bubber Reeves (Robert Redford). It doesn't much matter who Bubber … Continue reading The Chase (1966)