Kansas City

R

Released Aug 16, 1996

1 hr. 55 min.

Drama

List

60%

42 Reviews

Tomatometer

44%

1,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Aspiring thief Johnny (Dermot Mulroney) messes with the wrong man when he attempts to steal from Seldom Seen (Harry Belafonte), a Kansas City mob dynamo. Blondie (Jennifer Jason Leigh), Johnny's wife, refuses to sit back and let Johnny be held captive, resulting in a scheme to abduct a prominent government official's wife (Miranda Richardson). Blondie's plan is to use the woman's political connections to free her husband, but it gets complicated when the two women form an unlikely bond.

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isla s

I enjoyed this film as a stylish crime drama film with a film noir feel to it, mainly for the music played - the musical performances shown are quite impressive. I particularly enjoyed the what I call 'sax-off'. It has a really jazzy vibe. The plot is interesting too and I liked that one of the main characters was essentially a female gangster - cool stuff. If you like jazz music of the 1930s (this film is set in the 1930s, I believe) then hang around when the credits start, as we're shown and hear music while most of the credits roll. Yes, I'd definitely recommend this film.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

bill b

I had hoped that the movie would feature more of the musical numbers played all the way through but I was disappointed. They should put out a DVD of only the musicians and their music. The plot was not good, the writing poor, and the acting, except for Bellafonte, not exceptional.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

If there's one place where nothing is black and white and the music never stops it's Kansas City A large cast from Jennifer Jason-Leigh to Miranda Richardson to Steve Buscemi to Harry Belafonte to Dermony Mulroney and directed by Robert Altman During the 1930s a pair of kidnappings expose the complex power dynamics within the corrupt and unpredictable workings of its citizens Blondie O'Hara's husband, a petty thief, is captured by Seldom Seen and held at the Hey Hey Club, she launches a desperate plan to release him She kidnaps the wife of a powerful local politician in an attempt to blackmail him into using his connections to free Johnny Despite this being election time, he risks exposure by putting the political machine into action to free Johnny and thereby save his wife Mrs. Stilton, meanwhile, has befriended Blondie and is impressed by her love and devotion to Johnny, especially in contrast to her own loveless marriage It's an unlikely friendship stemming from a crime in progress The film explores themes of love, crime, race, and politics This feels though like a slight entry in Altman's filmography Dull in spots and doesn't really have a sense of urgency Maybe the filmmakers just forgot the basic ingredients how to make a noir film It's mediocre at best even if it has great talent involved Should've been a stronger period piece for this director

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

01/22/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I'm trying to figure out why film critics gave this such good reviews. The structure of the story was so convoluted and the acting so below average, I found myself tuning out halfway through this mess. The long drawn out club scenes were unnecessary, and Harry Belafonte's character yapping perpetually about nothing was annoying! And why is Robert Altman held in such high regards? Does he get a free pass every time he makes a lousy movie? "Oh, it's an Altman film, it's an automatic thumbs-up". I guess Popeye gets a 4 star review, huh? Kansas City seems to jump from one scene to the next, you start loosing interest in the story. I didn't even care about the outcome. To hell with this movie!

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/23/23

Full Review

steve d

I LOVE Jennifer Jason Leigh but nothing in this film really worked for me.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I really liked this, though the stuff in the jazz club is so good that cutting back to the still-entertaining plot with the two women feels like a letdown every time. It has such a beautiful rhythm and pace to it, though. I don't know why it's so poorly-rated.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

Full Review

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Robert Altman

Director

Jennifer Jason Leigh

Blondie O'Hara

Miranda Richardson

Carolyn Stilton

Harry Belafonte

Seldom Seen

Michael Murphy

Henry Stilton

Dermot Mulroney

Johnny O'Hara

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Richard Brody

New Yorker

Hectic and seething...

Jul 24, 2023

Full Review

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

Charlie Parker and his mother are gratuitously shoehorned into the plot, though some of the movie’s other strategies for imparting flavor work; what doesn’t work here is the flip cynicism, which by now, alas, has become Altman’s debilitating trademark.

Jun 14, 2022

Full Review

Kevin Maher

Times (UK)

As always with Altman, the ensemble excels, with every character perfectly played, all fates cleverly connected, and all action overlaid with a thumping jazz score.

Rated: 4/5

Jun 21, 2021

Full Review

Michael Atkinson

Spin

Kansas City goes nowhere fast.

Dec 27, 2022

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Altman stated that Kansas City was constructed like a jazz session, and that proves to be both its greatest strength and its major weakness.

Rated: 2.5/4

Mar 14, 2020

Full Review

Kevin Wight

The Wee Review

Robert Altman's ode to his jazz-age childhood has all the authenticity and self-indulgence you would expect

Rated: 3

Mar 2, 2020

Full Review

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Synopsis

Aspiring thief Johnny (Dermot Mulroney) messes with the wrong man when he attempts to steal from Seldom Seen (Harry Belafonte), a Kansas City mob dynamo. Blondie (Jennifer Jason Leigh), Johnny's wife, refuses to sit back and let Johnny be held captive, resulting in a scheme to abduct a prominent government official's wife (Miranda Richardson). Blondie's plan is to use the woman's political connections to free her husband, but it gets complicated when the two women form an unlikely bond.

Director: Robert Altman
Executive Producer: Scott Bushnell
Screenwriter: Robert Altman, Frank Barhydt
Distributor: Fine Line Features
Production Co: Sandcastle 5 Productions
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 16, 1996, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 31, 2014
Sound Mix: Surround

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