Johnny Suede

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.

Big hair-pieced Brad Pitt (as Johnny Suede) moves to a large American city, from North Dakota; he wants to become a Big pop music star. He has everything except "Black Suede Shoes". One evening, he discovers a woman being roughed up in an alley/alcove. While in a nearby phone booth, calling for help, Pitt is practically hit over the head with his blessed "Black Suede Shoes". Then, he feels he is on his way. Pitt is hampered by an underwhelming singing voice, and poor material; but, due to his muscular good looks, he is successful with women. Pitt has several sexy underwear scenes; and, he slips under the sheets with quirky Catherine Keener (as Yvonne) and alluring Alison Moir (as Darlette).

Pitt idolizes Ricky Nelson (who certainly would have gotten a *kick* out of this movie). For the record, the most frequently played song, Rick Nelson's "Teen Age Idol" could not have been turned over to play "Travelin' Man", as Pitt does in an effective scene with Ms. Moir. The two Nelson hits were on different Imperial singles. The record album hanging on Pitt's apartment wall is the excellent "Ricky Sings Again" album. "Midtown" is the best of the "original" tunes; it has some of the breezy feel evident in Nelson's early Decca material.

Moir, Ms. Keener, and Calvin Levels (as Deke) perform very well. Keener won an "Independent Spirit Award"; but, Moir and Mr. Leeds are also very impressive. Tempting Tina Louise (as Mrs. Fontaine), from "Gilligan's Island", has a leggy cameo; and, Nick Cave is a "Freak Storm". Debuting director Tom DiCillo's "Johnny Suede" is filled with style and good intentions.

****** Johnny Suede (1991) Tom DiCillo ~ Brad Pitt, Catherine Keener, Calvin Levels

This movie really comes out of nowhere, and stays fresh and intriguing from the first shot to the last. I couldn't stop smiling for a moment, it was so wonderfully weird!

The story centers around a pair of snazzy shoes, that are found by Pitt's character Johnny, then change his entire life. There isn't a great deal of plot, which is fine, because the story is driven by the bizarre people in Johnny's life, and the way in which he reacts to them.

The best thing about "Johnny Suede" is that you really don't know what people are going to say or do next. The most 'normal' person in the story is Keener's character, who is strange just for liking Johnny so much.

The photography and sound is fairly minimal, due to budget, but in a way, it really adds to the ambience of nothingness in Johnny's life. The directing of actors is really first-rate, and the script is a gem. Oh, and the hair is a must-see.

If you're in the market for something out of left-field, then this hits the spot!