Klute

How many of you have seen the 1971 movie Klute with Jane Fonda and Donald Sutherland? In some ways, this series reminds me of that film. Jane Fonda won a Best Actress Oscar for her portrayal of the call girl Bree Daniels, who is being stalked by one of her prior customers.

Klute was revolutionary when it came out because it portrayed a prostitute that was a whole person. Prior to that film, these characters were either straight up criminals, or some poor creature that was doing this kind of work because her little brother was dying of cancer and needed treatment (or something along those lines.) Bree was complex….she was neither good nor bad. She loved the attention her work afforded her, but was not particularly fond of the work itself. A master manipulator who made her customers feel wanted, but who….under the mask….was really just acting and going through the motions.
One of the differences, though, is that Bree is a wannabe actress/model who cannot seem to break into either field. She craves attention and is unsuccessful as a model/actress, but is successful as a call girl. She realizes the destructiveness of her profession, but at the same time is addicted to being wanted and desired….not to mention that the money is good, as well.

The Girlfriend Experience presents a different, more modern version of a Bree Daniels character. This one is a young woman with a high potential to become a patent lawyer. It shows the problems one encounters when trying to lead a conventional life during the day where one is expected to live by certain rules of behavior and decorum, while living this lifestyle at night that is considered taboo in her chosen field. Interestingly enough…..IMO….I think the show also uses high end prostitution as a metaphor for the legal profession, and employs this metaphor well.

Many have criticized the lead on the show as being too cold or detached…not showing enough emotion. I think her portrayal is spot on. Psychologists say that prostitutes develop dissociative personalities as a coping mechanism….you are in the moment, while being detached and not there at the same time. It’s much more difficult to play a role where one has to be somewhat stoic while, at the same time, getting the character’s thoughts and motivations across to the audience, and I think she does it well. It’s far easier to get these things across when playing someone expressive, talkative, or outgoing. This type of character is a harder nut to crack.
To those of you who have never seen Klute, and enjoyed The Girlfriend Experience, I urge you to seek it out.