FILM REVIEW - 'Johnny Suede'
No one calls him a teenage idol. Johnny Suede, big Ricky Nelson fan, but otherwise 1990s guy, finds it's a cruel world for 1950s romantics in this day and age. Consistently amusing, but only sporadically engaging, "Johnny Suede'' is likely to hit the right notes only among film festival followers.
Unlikely to belt out any theatrical high notes, "Johnny Suede'' (screened here at the Sundance Film Festival) could do some grace-note business as a rental, however, courtesy of old-time rock 'n' roll junkies.
In this thin, major-chords-only refrain, Brad Pitt stars as Johnny, a big-haired guy from the Lower East Side who dreams of hitting it big as a Ricky Nelson type. While he's certainly got a hairdo that would make Ozzie and Harriet cringe, Johnny's not got much in the way of talent. He can't sing very well and his songwriting is even worse. Accordingly, moviegoers are not exactly going to shake, rattle and roll over this film's music.
While screenwriter and director Tom DiCillo mixes in some nifty comic moments amid his minimalist, cool scenario, "Johnny Suede'' is, basically, B-side of the record material. A dippy romance flushed high with naive dreams of stardom, the story line never jells. Still, DiCillo's soft humor and playful antics manage to stave off general tedium.
As the vapidly charismatic Johnny, Brad Pitt hits all the right notes. A sure sense of comic timing, as well as a laid-back approach to his role, make for an appealing performance. Nick Cave, as a bleached-out rocker, is convincing. Catherine Keener notches some touchingly comic moments as Johnny's love interest, especially noteworthy given the underwritten nature of the characters.
Technical contributions, most notably art director Patricia Woodbridge's smart clash of 1950s icons with 1990s values, ring true.
JOHNNY SUEDE
Vega Film-Balthazar Pictures-Arena Films SA-Starr Pictures
Producers Yoram Mandel, Ruth Waldburger , Alain Klarer, Bruno Pesery, Janet Jacobson
Screenwriter-director Tom DiCillo
Exec. producers Ruth Waldburger, Steven Starr
Director of photography Joe DeSalvo
Editor Geraldine Peroni
Art director Patricia Woodbridge
Music Jim Farmer, Link Wray
Color/Stereo
Cast:
Johnny Brad Pitt
Yvonne Catherine Keener
Freak Storm Nick Cave
Running time -- 97 minutes
(c) The Hollywood Reporter...
Unlikely to belt out any theatrical high notes, "Johnny Suede'' (screened here at the Sundance Film Festival) could do some grace-note business as a rental, however, courtesy of old-time rock 'n' roll junkies.
In this thin, major-chords-only refrain, Brad Pitt stars as Johnny, a big-haired guy from the Lower East Side who dreams of hitting it big as a Ricky Nelson type. While he's certainly got a hairdo that would make Ozzie and Harriet cringe, Johnny's not got much in the way of talent. He can't sing very well and his songwriting is even worse. Accordingly, moviegoers are not exactly going to shake, rattle and roll over this film's music.
While screenwriter and director Tom DiCillo mixes in some nifty comic moments amid his minimalist, cool scenario, "Johnny Suede'' is, basically, B-side of the record material. A dippy romance flushed high with naive dreams of stardom, the story line never jells. Still, DiCillo's soft humor and playful antics manage to stave off general tedium.
As the vapidly charismatic Johnny, Brad Pitt hits all the right notes. A sure sense of comic timing, as well as a laid-back approach to his role, make for an appealing performance. Nick Cave, as a bleached-out rocker, is convincing. Catherine Keener notches some touchingly comic moments as Johnny's love interest, especially noteworthy given the underwritten nature of the characters.
Technical contributions, most notably art director Patricia Woodbridge's smart clash of 1950s icons with 1990s values, ring true.
JOHNNY SUEDE
Vega Film-Balthazar Pictures-Arena Films SA-Starr Pictures
Producers Yoram Mandel, Ruth Waldburger , Alain Klarer, Bruno Pesery, Janet Jacobson
Screenwriter-director Tom DiCillo
Exec. producers Ruth Waldburger, Steven Starr
Director of photography Joe DeSalvo
Editor Geraldine Peroni
Art director Patricia Woodbridge
Music Jim Farmer, Link Wray
Color/Stereo
Cast:
Johnny Brad Pitt
Yvonne Catherine Keener
Freak Storm Nick Cave
Running time -- 97 minutes
(c) The Hollywood Reporter...
- 1/23/1992
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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