Kansas City

Name: Kansas City
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Crime, Music
Released: August 16, 1996
Duration: 116 min
Rating: 58
Cast: Harry Belafonte, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Miranda Richardson

1996

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 23 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 20 Ratings

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7.6

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7.6	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 20 Ratings

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Kansas City

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Movie Details & Credits

Fine Line Features | Release Date: August 16, 1996 | R

Starring: Harry Belafonte, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Miranda Richardson

Summary: Robert Altman's jazz-fueled film explores themes of love, crime, race, and politics in 1930's Kansas City.

Director: Robert Altman

Genre(s): Drama, Thriller, Crime, Music

Rating: R

Runtime: 116 min

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Critic Reviews

100

Michael Wilmington

Kansas City is a wonderful film, done with all Altman's offbeat virtuosity, maverick humor and creative daring -- plus the acid nip that runs through all his recent works. Read full review

Mike Clark

Though the music is helping market the movie, it's really an omnipresent backdrop to the two intersecting stories. Audibly and visibly, Kansas City nearly equals Ed Wood for period verisimilitude. Yet it's also character-driven, in particular by the women stars. [16 Aug 1996, p.4D]

Roger Ebert

What he asks of the actors (those who are “soloists,” anyway) is not realism but the same kind of playful show-off performances he's getting from the musicians. And to understand the acting, it's helpful to begin with the music. Read full review

Stephen Holden

If the movie, which uses blues-based Kansas City jazz as a raucous, nonverbal Greek chorus, lacks the emotional range of Mr. Altman's masterpiece, ''Nashville,'' it still has its own brawling vitality. Read full review

Marjorie Baumgarten

Although the movie contains occasional moments of glimpsed accomplishment, Kansas City is for the most part a lame duck. Read full review

David Baron

This period gangster yarn...is neither in the front rank nor the slag heap of Altman's oeuvre. Rather, it's an atypically accessible attempt at mainstream entertainment that contains both satisfying and off-putting elements. [16 Aug 1996, p.L24]

Jami Bernard

Jazz is a good metaphor for Robert Altman's movies they're often improvisational, free-form and full of unexpected dissonance. Unfortunately, his movies also fall prey to the hazards of jazz they can be boring, screechy and endless. Thus, Kansas City. [16 Aug 1996, p.49]

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User Reviews

DawdlingPoet

Jul 26, 2022

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 ofI 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.… Expand

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