KANSAS CITY CONFIDENTIAL is a man's film noir. Shot primarily in flatly lit medium close-ups with a camera that only moves when necessary, there is nothing sensual about this film. It's about a heist committed by four men made anonymous to each other by identical masks. They were gathered together by a similarly-masked mastermind. The majority of this film concerns the teams regrouping in Mexico for the payoff---not much actually takes place in Kansas City. The great cast includes Lee Van Cleef, Jack Elam (his best line in the film: "You've been givin' me the fisheye all night."), Neville Brand (the souvenir-hocking Seorita sums him up: "He's not the sociable type."), and John Payne as a flower delivery man and ex-con who gets himself mixed up in this mess. Coleen Gray plays the blandly-written love interest. It's a thankless role, as all the attention is focused on sweaty brows, unshaven faces, chain-smoking, and piles of dirty money.
Though you can probably find this on DVD for 25 cents at a closeout store, I recommend living large and splurging for the tack-sharp MGM disc.
Though you can probably find this on DVD for 25 cents at a closeout store, I recommend living large and splurging for the tack-sharp MGM disc.
