Kansas City is a 1996 American crime and jazz movie directed by Robert Altman. The film is set in the 1930s in Kansas City, a city that is known as the cradle of jazz. The story revolves around a young woman named Blondie (Jennifer Jason Leigh), whose husband is a small-time crook named Johnny Flynn (Dermot Mulroney). Blondie is addicted to jazz music and hangs around a jazz club called Hey Hey Club, where she meets a famous jazz musician named Lester Young (played by real-life jazz saxophonist James Carter).
When Johnny gets caught by the police, Blondie decides to free him by kidnapping the wife of a wealthy businessman named Seldom Seen (Harry Belafonte), who is also a notorious gangster. Blondie's plan is to exchange the kidnapped woman for her husband. However, things get complicated when Seldom Seen finds out about the kidnapping and decides to take revenge on Blondie. At the same time, a black housekeeper named Blue (played by Lisa Gay Hamilton) kidnaps Seldom Seen's wife in an attempt to get her job back.
The movie features a lot of jazz music, performed by real jazz musicians, including James Carter, Craig Handy, Ron Carter, and Joshua Redman. The soundtrack includes classic jazz songs such as "Moten Swing", "Jumpin' at the Woodside", and "Moten's Boogie".
Kansas City is not a typical crime movie. Instead, it is a character-driven drama with complex relationships and themes of race, class, and power. The film depicts the racial tensions of the time, as well as the corrupt politics that existed in Kansas City during the Depression era. Overall, Kansas City is a unique blend of crime, jazz, and social commentary.