SummaryRobert Altman's jazz-fueled film explores themes of love, crime, race, and politics in 1930's Kansas City.
Directed By:Robert Altman
Written By:Robert Altman, Frank Barhydt
Kansas City
Metascore
Mixed or Average
58
User score
Generally Favorable
6.1
My Score
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Top Cast
Metascore
Mixed or Average
58
48% Positive
11 Reviews
11 Reviews
43% Mixed
10 Reviews
10 Reviews
9% Negative
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
100
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.
75
Although there's nominally a lot of action, the film doesn't exactly abound in narrative pulse. But its portraits and textures take up a lot of the slack. [16 Aug 1996, p.D5]
70
Kansas City can be regarded as a jazz tone poem on themes of race, politics, money and the movies themselves.
60
For Altman, this is a major statement about American hypocrisy and society’s haves and have-nots, in line with many of his films, but issued in a kind of offhand way that delivers only glancing emotional impact.
50
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]
40
A production that's strong on atmosphere but weak in the plot department. Watching this often-tedious film, you begin to feel as if you've been kidnapped - which is appropriate, anyway, since the story concerns an abduction.
30
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]
User score
Generally Favorable
6.1
54% Positive
7 Ratings
7 Ratings
38% Mixed
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
8% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
Jul 26, 2022
8
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.
Production Company:
- Sandcastle 5 Productions
- CiBy 2000
Release Date:Aug 16, 1996
Duration:1 h 56 m
Rating:R
Tagline:1934. The mob played Kansas City like a smooth jazz riff. Until one woman started to improvise.
Awards
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
New York Film Critics Circle Awards
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
Society of Texas Film Critics Awards
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
