dress to kill start off with kate miller ( angie dickinson ) have a sexually explicit nightmare and later on that day she visit her psychiatrist dr. robert elliott ( michael caine ) for a session in which she admit to be sexually frustrate and unfulfilled in her current marriage . kate then visit a museum and pick up a stranger and they go back to his apartment for casual sex and when do kate be set to leave but be attack and kill in the building elevator by a razor blade wield blonde woman . prostitute liz blake ( nancy allen ) discover the gruesome scene and see the killer but manage to escape . detective marino ( dennis franz ) say he suspect liz a be the killer a there be no other witness so liz team up with kate son peter ( keith gordon ) to track down the real killer and clear liz name and see that justice be do . write and direct by brian de palma i think dress to kill be a good solid psychological murder mystery . the script be measure and slow at time but it like to focus on the character so you really know them and the entire first twenty minute be just develop kate a a character before she be suddenly kill off and then the film switch it attentions to liz and no one else get a look in . this way dress to kill be quite absorbing and engaging and unfortunately the character themselves aren not exactly likable . i find some of the dialogue quite funny at time and especially the dirty talk that liz spout occasionally . the killer motif be somewhat plausible but i guess you would have to be pretty mess up to do anything suggest in dress to kill . it a good film but it do not excite me that much and i do not really find any character to root for or like . the film tack on a needless and unnecessary twist end that i do not really see the point of . director de palma directs with style and visual flair and from the art museum sequence to a car chase and a a whole it impeccably film throughout . i would imagine that every shot in dress to kill have a great deal of thought put into it . i felt the film be a bit flat and uninspired at time though and nothing about it really excite me that much . there be a fair bit of nudity and some sex and rape along with a few bit of gore and violence and kate murder by razor blade in the elevator be the highlight and if that the right word . however and it by no mean a shocking or controversial when view today a many would have you believe . with a supposed budget of about $ 6 and 500 and 000 dress to kill have that glossy high production value feel of a hollywood film . the new york location be nice and the cinematography be good and a a whole it extremely well make . i think the music be inappropriate and be far to loud and intrusive . the acting be ok but despite his top billing i do not think caine have that much screen time . allen be marry to director de palma at the time dress to kill be make and interestingly out of the four film she appear in make by de palma in two of them and this and blow out ( 1981 ) and he cast her a a prostitute . a body double be use for dickinson a she pleasures herself in a shower at the start . dress to kill be a good thriller that be well worth watch but i do not think it quite live up to it lofty reputation . good but not brilliant .