Keeps trying, but never makes it. I've never liked Alan Pakula movies, never, not even one. The best I can offer is indifference to titles like "Presumed Innocent" and "All the President's Men" two of the absolute BIGGEST books, turned into ordinary films. For my money he's a director that starts with a 'sure thing' book or script, then by the time he's done it is something less. Often times dramatically so. Klute is a movie that in time and tone is similar to Coppola's 'The Conversation' but where "The Conversation" tends to be mysterious, subversive, this film is vacant. It simply lacks the invention and backbone. Jane Fonda's Academy Award performance in this movie, is probably the best of her career, but although informative, is, like many of her performances, emotionless. Donald Sutherland's job is merely to stand in the center, while Fonda dances around him, and he does that well enough. This attempt at apsychological thriller is mindless.