Johnny Suede

Now, personally, I would give this movie a 7. But from a viewing perspective, and general public take, I would give it a 5 or 5.5.

It tells the story of a young man who is aiming to become a big shot musician. He is struggling to reach that state, and it is clear he is not trying very hard to get his career running. He meets a few girls along the way, performs with his band, meets some good industry connections, and then there's something about a suede shoe.

It's a good movie, and definitely a movie that's all Brad Pitt.

6 Stars

Tom Dicillo, after Living in Oblivion and Box of Moonlight, has proved himself to be one of the best writers and directors in the business. This, his feature film debut as director, is a nice tale which is solid entertainment but not as good as his later films.

Brad Pitt looks a bit too pretty throughout the film (watch Living in Oblivion, the James LeGros character is a parody of Pitt) but there is a good supporting cast, and the film has some very good moments. Definitely worth watching. 7 out of 10

This is one of the very early films in which Catherine Keener appears, and if you are among her growing population of admirers, this film is amust see. Keener has never been better, except maybe in "Living in Oblivion". Aside from that, this film is about as forgettable as an offbeat film can be. Annoying at times, there are some bright spots in this film that make it worthwhile as a whole.

"Johnny Suede" is a slice of life flick which tells of a peculiar fictitious character, Suede (Pitt), who has a 10 inch pompadour, worships Ricky Nelson, is a wannabee musician/star, is naive or stupid or both, and has little else worthy of mention. The slice the film presents (the story) is off-beat and creative in the minutia and anticlimactic in the whole. Pitt and Keneer and Levels work well in their roles but can't make up for a story which is about as satisfying as a baloney sandwich on Thanksgiving Day. A no brainer for channel surfers.

Independent filmmaker Tom DiCillo made his debut here with this hip, refreshingly quirky character study, with Brad Pitt scoring as the central character. He plays Johnny Suede, aspiring musician who idolizes Ricky Nelson and occupies a fairly run down apartment in Brooklyn. The film follows Johnny around as he alternates between reality and his own dream world. His relationships with women are a focal point, first as he hooks up with Darlette (Alison Moir) whose mom (Tina Louise) has connections to the music business. Then he chances to meet schoolteacher Yvonne (Catherine Keener) and falls for her hard enough to be ready to make some changes in his life. DiCillo injects some moments of amusing surrealism into his film while still basically handling his material in a straightforward manner, never going for stylistic choices when it isn't necessary. The dialogue is sometimes quite funny, and really comes to life in the hands of these talented actors. Among the other people in Johnny's offbeat life are his friend and bandmate Deke (Calvin Levels); Samuel L. Jackson has a brief, one scene part as the bass player in his band. The brightest moments belong to real-life music star Nick Cave, playing a character named Freak Storm; his scenes with Pitt are fun. DiCillo does a good job with visual detail, right down to the clothes that his characters wear. The story, as has been pointed out, is about so much more than just a specific kind of music (although the music is wonderful throughout) - it goes to great lengths to depict this amiable, ordinary guy struggling not just to make it as a musician but to adjust to the highs and lows of everyday life. Pitt shows here, as he has on so many occasions, to be more than just a pretty face, and an actor of range and depth. You like Johnny and want to see him find happiness. And at the end you can't help but sympathize with him. Overall, this is an endearing little gem, one in which DiCillo refrains from giving in to predictability and finds a realistic centre amid the more offbeat aspects to the world he creates. Well worth a look. Eight out of 10.