On J List of Movie Reviews
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Johnny Suede (1991)
Rate:
7
Viewed:
3/15
3/15:
Johnny Suede is one of the earliest movies in Brad Pitt's oeuvre, and it's an excellent character-driven cult picture.
Visibly noticeable is his huge pompadour which will be easy getting used to. Johnny is gifted with a pair of suede shoes
that fall out of the sky and then professionally calls himself Johnny Suede but is naïve about how things work in
real life.
Idolizing Ricky Nelson, Johnny is a failed musician who has a series of relationships with Brooklyn females who are
frightened and lost. He strikes up an acquaintance with a seemingly successful musician who looks like Billy Idol and
considers him as a good advisor. At the same time, Johnny has his own band, but their music gets them nowhere. Going
through the motions, he's never serious about his ambitions and wanders around aimlessly.
In many ways, Johnny Suede looks like a Jim Jarmusch picture, specifically
Permanent Vacation, but is
not as senseless and arty. However, director Tom DiCillo makes it engaging with an endearing character. The movie is
also unpredictable and fun. I only have two qualms. It can be slow at times, and Catherine Keener is miscast
because she's a no-talent actress, showing zero chemistry with Brad Pitt.
All in all, Johnny Suede is a wonderfully made cult picture with a great Brad Pitt performance.