KANSAS
CITY (1996)
Starring
Jennifer Jason Leigh, Miranda Richardson, Harry Belafonte, Michael
Murphy, Dermot Mulroney, Steve Buscemi, Brooke Smith, Jane Adams.
Directed by Robert Altman. (116 min).
ON
BLU-RAY FROM ARROW ACADEMY
Review
by Fluffy the Fearless😸
Maybe
it’s the way I’m wired, but I personally prefer some of Robert
Altman’s less lauded movies to his acknowledged classics. Sure,
MASH remains his greatest film, but you’re also looking at
the one guy who liked Quintet more than Nashville.
That
being said, while Kansas City didn't garner the
accolades of his recent “comeback” films - The Player and
Short Cuts - it’s less pretentious and more enjoyable than
both. I could be wrong, but as the story unfolded, I couldn’t help
but feel Altman was more personally invested in this one since the setting is his old stomping ground.
Speaking
of which, it’s quite a story, should one choose to pay attention to
it. I say that because the
characters and music are enough to drive the film, which Altman -
with co-screenwriter Frank Barhydt - culls from childhood
recollections of his hometown (though
by his own admission, somewhat romanticized).
During the prohibition era,
Kansas City was apparently the midwest hub for gambling, booze and
organized crime, a perfect setting for one of Altman’s better
ensemble
casts to inhabit
a variety of unique
characters.
 |
| Miss Pouty Puss. |
The
film tells concurring
stories, the primary one
depicting the kidnapping of Carolyn
(Miranda Richardson) by
Blondie (Jennifer Jason
Leigh), the opium-addicted wife of powerful politician Henry Stilton
(Michael Murphy). Since the narrative isn’t initially linear,
Blondie’s motives are unclear at first. Then
we meet her husband,
low-level crook Johnny
(Dermot Mulroney), who
stupidly robs a big-shot gambler that happens to be friends with
Seldom Seen (Harry Belefonte), the city’s most powerful – and
ruthless – black mobster. Johnny’s caught almost immediately and
“Seldom” holds him in the back room of his popular jazz spot, the
Hey Hey Club. These stories
converge when Blondie threatens to kill Miranda unless Henry uses his
own questionable mob connections to spring Johnny.
 |
| Guess who's in it for the chicks. |
Several
other peripheral
characters drift
in and out of the picture,
sometimes to complicate or
clarify the
plot, but mostly to enhance the film as a whole. Every character, no
matter how minor, is uniquely interesting, with potential backstories
that would make engaging movies
themselves. Offering additional respite are numerous musical set-pieces
featuring some stunning performances by real-life modern artists
portraying jazz legends of the era. That they are filmed live gives
Kansas City are level
of authenticity that Coppola’s similarly-themed Cotton
Club never
quite achieved.
Ultimately,
the plot ends up being of secondary importance. With only minor
tweaking – and a director with a different agenda – the same
story could have just
as easily been
a crackling
thriller or funny farce.
Instead, like
many
Altman’s films, Kansas City
is more concerned
with
the characters he creates to populate a specific
place and time. It feels
a lot more personal than his other films of the same era, making
it one of the late director’s most criminally overlooked efforts.
EXTRA
KIBBLES
"GEOFF
ANDREW ON KANSAS CITY” - An appreciation
by Geoff Andrew, who affectionately discusses some of Altman’s
quirks, with obvious emphasis on Kansas City.
"GARE,
TRAINS ET DERAILLEMENT” - From 2007, this is a video essay by
French critic Luc Lagier. In French with English subtitles.
FEATURETTES
- “Robert Altman Goes to the Heart of America”; “Kansas
City: The Music”
ELECTRONIC
PRESS KIT INTERVIEWS – Short promotional interviews with Robert
Altman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Miranda Richardson, Harry Belefonte,
Joshua Redman. Soundbites in the featurettes are pulled from these
interviews.
AUDIO
COMMENTARY – By Robert Altman.
TRAILERS
& TV SPOTS
SUPPLEMENTAL
BOOKLET – Annotated essay, “Dream Boogie: Visions of the
Past,” by author Dr. Nicolas Pillai from the Jazz Studies Research
Center; Interview excerpt from the book, Altman on Altman;
Original production notes; cast, crew and Blu-ray transfer credits.
REVERSIBLE
COVER – With new and original artwork (the original is far
cooler).
KITTY CONSENSUS:
PURR-R-R...LIKE A GOOD SCRATCH BEHIND THE EARS.
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