Customer Reviews

Johnny Suede [VHS]

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"Johnny Suede" is a wonderfully refreshing off-beat comedy that blends surrealism and a critical pop-culture sensibility while challenging film conventions in a playful, entertaining way. The story follows would-be retro rocker "Johnny" (Brad Pitt) though his adventures in love and music. Katherine Keener plays Johnny's "real" love interest as the girl who rescues him from his shallow ambitions. This is an extremely unusual film that mixes magical events and dream sequences energizing the work with a highly surreal feeling. Set in a decaying and spooky section of Brooklyn, the relationships between characters take on a greater, more universal significance. If I didn't know better, I might consider Tom Dicillo a cinematic genius, with a touch of Beckett for good measure. But, funny enough....

In an interview years later, Tom Dicillo said that "Johnny Suede," his first feature film, was the product of a "shooting nightmare." According to Dicillo, Brad Pitt (Johnny Suede) played the character as if he recently had a "frontal lobodomy." There was even a suggestion in the interview that Pitt willfully dumbed-down the character despite Dicillo's direction to play him as an ordinary mixed-up guy "just trying to figure things out." There was even a hint that Pitt was intentionally sabotaging the shoot as buzz began to circulate that he was destined for stardom (think Thema & Louise). However, I believe he was simply too good an actor to take a character like Johnny without irony. Dicillo considers the movie a failure and said that he was forced to leave in strange, awkward scenes because he simply had no choice (read money) to shoot them again.

"Johnny Suede" remains forever a puzzle. Is Johnny brain-dead or really a perfect symbol for a fallen and lost humanity? Nobody knows...Perhaps, the wasteland in which the action takes place is merely a sign of low-budget, low-awareness-film-making, or is it a deeper, more spiritual wasteland, one in which we all inhabit? Do we, like Johnny, need to have a shoe tossed into our face to understand the true nature of love. Is Tom Dicillo just writing about himself, or did he really intend to make one of the dreamiest, way-cool films about love and art? Nobody knows...

There's a stillness all through Johnny Suede that for some reason brings more atmosphere and tone than if it was a feverish exhibition in recounting motion and reality. Suede's dreams, hopes,romances even haircut are stilted - a lack of real interaction or movement. His life is going nowhere. Johnny Suede is disillusioned yet he finds shoes, not just any shoes but suede shoes that give him an identity and a direction. Immeditaly his life picks up , he finds a beautiful girl, gets some sexual tips, loses girl yet finds another. In terms of plot that is about it. The only other vital information is that Johnny has a dream - he wants to sing - sing in a fifties ultrasmooth style that is long since deceased. Tom DeCillio, with this as his first movie, has created a not only a weird and wonderful bit of film yet also a wacky and surreal empty world where your imagination might just push you to realise your dreams, in your imagination. Much of the movies abundant humour comes from Brad Pitts (in easily his best role apart from maybe his turn in True Romance) innocent, dumb, dreamer. His deadpan manner in which he shows us his struggling, carrot eating want to be artist is the perfect rebel without a brain. All the style and image of James Dean with none of the intelligence or drive. The romance of an eternal loser! All the better. The film flows to the infectious twang of a plucked bass tune that for some reason gives Suede's meandering's an almost heroic feel. Is it worse to be an idiot who believes in dreams or an average person fully in touch with modern reality? Adventures are what people make of them and Suede preceded by DeCillio make little monumental ones. The musician Nick Cave (cult Australian and fully functioning practitioner of the violent carnivalesque) puts in a brilliant mini role as Freke Stone - ultimately cool rock star and a man in full control of his surroundings. Rumour has it that a scene was chopped where in a bar sequence with Suede, Stone lifts the arm of an accompanying groupie licks her underarm and takes a shot of tequila. True or false this is indicative of the live fast figure he portrays in the movie. His hilarious eulogy to his father in lyric terms is a classic scene in its own right. The film is peppered with dream sequences, a slow motion exploding window, bizarre characters and a supersmooth "hero". His ideals are as large as his quiff. By the films conclusion Suede's hair is flattened and by his betrayal so is he. Does this signal a more normal existence for Johnny Suede? Who knows? Personally I hope he makes it in some two bit back bar, playing to drunken all nighters. For Johnny Suede that is superstardom.

Brad Pitt is obviously the main draw here, and although he brings his great physical beauty to the role, as in every role he plays, it is not all he brings. He is able to capture the essence of Johnny "Suede", a quiet, disconnected young man whose dreams of being an idol are much more real to him than his aimless and odd real life. You hear Brad sing too! This movie is completely weird and wonderful and Brad is so captivating. It's a wonderful hybrid of Twin Peaks meets Melrose Place. A must see, for both men and women, I think.

filled with great direction and sparkled together with the likable performance of Brad Pitt as Johnny Suede. Suede wants to make a band and he does but then things fall apart as he spirals into relationships and conflicts. Catherine Keener is also great. Samuel L. Jackson and Calvin Levels also star, though Jackson has a small roll as Pitt's band bass player. a great movie

I dont think its the best film I've ever seen, but the parts that were funny, made me laugh out loud. The best part of the film is when Johnny Suede (Brad Pitt) and Freak Storm (Nick Cave) meet in an alleyway. Nick Cave had a small role, but it was unforgettable... he was an albino lounge singer, with a huge platinum pompadour... not the typical look that Nick Cave goes for (except for huge hair & pointy shoes... but Nick tends to have a large black coiff!) Brad Pitt was sporting the ever high tower of breadloafhead as well. I like some of those early Brad Pitt films as opposed to the later ones (with the exception of "Snatch" which is a great film) and Johnny Suede is a good one. The scenes between Pitt & Catherine Keener were quite amusing, and the ones with "Deke" were hysterical... but nothing was as funny as eating bad chicken in the alleyway with Freak Storm singing "I'll be a Mama's Boy... since my daddy got the Electric Chair!"

This film is pretty terrific I think,and i don't even particularly care for pitt.But in this movie hes damn good,and even better is that hair-cut.The photography was quite appealing,as di cillo seems to have a great eye for location and space here. there seems to be an aesthetiscm here thats not too far removed from Jarmusch,as the barren and empty surroundings beautifully reflect the character and even perhaps pitt himself.As a rather vain and shallow person myself, I found the film quite telling about narcissm more so than any american film released around thaty period, and boy does that terrific guitar score along with those great shots of whatever city this film takes place linger long after you hit the eject button.

By far the coolest, most bizarre movie ever. Backed by a simple, but eerie guitar soundtrack, this movie makes you feel a little strange. It is hysterical, but also touching. Quite unlike anything I have ever seen. Johnny, played by an ultra-glamorous Brad Pitt, idolizes Ricky Nelson and envisions himself a teen idol. Surrounded by empty cans of beans, aqua-net, and an occasional iguana, Johnny plays his guitar in his appartment and hopes to have more than carrots to eat.

I love this movie.

I stumbled across this movie by chance, when watching Australian SBS's movie of the week slot with Margaret Pomeranz. When renting the video some-time later the blurb on the back did not do the movie any justice. Johnny Suede is an original and haunting movie which touched my heart like no other. Brad Pitt is excellent as Johnny Suede. He captures all the emotions so well; alienation,loneliness,dreaminess, naivety. The catchy guitar riff at the start sets the scene so well as you drift off into Johnny Suede's idealic dreamworld. I can relate to Johnny Suede's character very well. Being an outsider with a very naive but positive outlook on the world. People using you for their own needs (eg, Darlette, Yvonne even Deek.)Also having a bizarre but unique way of thinking and saying. The shoes were great symbolism also. This movie could well be about the director himself in Tom DiCillo. It seems to be a very personal movie. I also loved the supporting cast; Deek made up his own mind on Johnny, Darlette just used Johnny for support, Was Yvonne still seeing the married guy (remember the bruises, Flip Doubt was great as the weird, possesive photographer guy, I think he was actually a nice guy, Freak storm was convincing as the con- man muso. Being a big fan of James Dean, you can see the comparisons between Pitt and Dean. Unfortunately in my opinion, Brad Pitt ended up taking the easy road playing no emotion macho types which are not really him. This movie is the closest to Brad Pitts personality - vulnerable and sensitive. Anyone could've played Tyler Durden. The bleak wasteland environment where Johnny lives demonstrates the hardships you have to endure when you follow your heart as an artist. This movie deals with issues that I struggle to accept about myself; intimacy, belonging, trying to fit in, being too nice, being a doormat. Pitt has some excellent dialogue. Some of my favourites are; These hands were not meant to hold a god-damn paintbrush, What'ya think I was doin' playing hockey! Babe..you look so beautiful right.. now, The name's suede johnny suede, With these shoes on I'm pretty light on my feet. And heaps more. Johnny Suede will touch those dark subterrannean caverns in your heart where you hardly ever visit. ....

Cool little movie that came out about 8 years ago or so. Back when Brad Pitt was not a household name.

In this flick Pitt plays a pomped out Ricky Nelson worshipper. Ever hear the Ricky Nelson song "Lonely Town"? That's the jist of this movie. It's kind of a darkly funny movie, that leaves you feeling slightly uneasy.

Wait for it on DVD, or go rent it at the vid-store. It's worth your time.

Johnny Suede This is a great movie, even better if you listen to the writer's commentary. It's worth buying, but may be hard to find as it was not released in theaters nationwide when made. Don't be fooled by Pitt's hair on the cover - this story takes place some time around the Punk/Glam era. Anyone who has good memories of that period will probably enjoy this. Some of the music was written by the film director/writer himself and recorded but hard to find. If you're a Brad Pitt fan you'll definitely like it. If you were ever a struggling musician you'll identify with it. Johnny has an odd obsession with Ricky Nelson music and other vintage things - but he's still a musician, songwriter and struggling to have a band. Amusing story about the shoes he wears, how he got them and what they did for him, the era such a person is living in, how he got his name and the fact that this is all based on things that occurred during those years of the writer's life. The soundtrack is fitting and even if it's not your fave type of music you'll still like it in this film. This movie is fun, interesting and has great acting. It's too bad it wasn't promoted more when made. It's enjoyable and shouldn't be over-thought, as it can be misunderstood and seem not quite as good. If you don't want to buy it, at least try to see it. Made around the time fo Thelma and Louise, Pitt was not well known but you can still see his acting potential and he plays this part well. Different people will like it for different reasons, nevertheless it's still a "feel good" movie for me.