Klute (1971) ****

Alan J. Pakula's Klute (1971), the first film in what came to be known as his "Paranoia Trilogy" (which also includes 1974's The Parallax View (review) and 1976's All The President's Men (blogpost)), is an excellent neo-noir with some very giallo-like elements and a refreshingly frank, Oscar-winning central performance by Jane Fonda. There's a really interesting dynamic between her character, call girl Bree Daniels, and Donald Sutherland's titular John (that name seems intentional) Klute. 

Pakula was such a master with this type of material and this film hits the spot if you're in the mood for a slow burn thriller of this vintage. Highlights include Michael Small's Lalo Schifrin-esque psych-jazz score (with the unmistakable breathy vocal stylings of singer Sally Stevens, who memorably contributed to that same year's Dirty Harry) and Gordon Willis' (who shot both of Pakula's other paranoia pictures, along with The Godfather trilogy) superb cinematography.

Alan J. Pakula Feature Films Ranked