This is an independent American film which stars Brad Pitt. This is before Brad Pitt's rise to fame but from here we can see that he is a pretty good actor. The movie is about a man, Johnny Suede (Brad Pitt), who finds a pair of Suede shoes, and with these shoes he believes that he is complete. In the end though he is not. It seems at the beginning of this movie that every thing is going to go his way, but in the end it does not.The movie follows two relationships that Johnny has. The first is with a young rich girl whose mother owns a recording studio. This is a relationship made in heaven as it seems that everything Johnny ever wanted has landed in his lap. Her mother likes him and it looks as if he is going to become a star. His friend warns him though that if a woman's mother likes you then the woman does not. In the end Johnny says something and the girl throws him out.The film maker is very clever with how he makes this movie. He does not let you know where he is going to go. He will dangle what looks like a opportunity in Johnny's face yet nothing will come of this opportunity. He runs into the most popular singer of the time, Freak Storm, and makes friends with him. He offers a record deal but nothing ever comes out of it. From what we see, Freak Storm just took his money and left Johnny with food poisoning.Johnny protects a woman, Yvonne, from a peeping tom and strikes up a relationship with her. Yvonne is a very loving woman, someone that Johnny does not deserve. This brings back images of Clerks where the girlfriend is the one that cares for the main character yet the main character does realise it until it is too late. Johnny's low point is on his birthday as this is when his best friend walks out on him and he wonders on home only to be drawn away by a woman on the train. As I said, the film maker does an incredible job in twisting your perception of the movie around. It is difficult at times to see if it is a dream or not, but he will drop in a little hint, like a midget cowboy or a naked man, to let you know that something is wrong.The dreams seem to play an important part in the movie because it seems to be a form of appearance and reality. Is what appears to Johnny is in fact another reality. When he is dying of food poisoning, he is rescued by both women, only one of the rescues is a dream. The dream is what Johnny wants while the reality is completely different. The end is very inconclusive and we are left to make of it what we will. As the narrator says, some say he got it back others say it was found on the side of the road outside of Delaware. The movie is left hanging and it is up to us to finish it.

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.

Director Tom DiCillo who also created another classic flick, Living in Oblivion 1995 has created another gem in Johnny Suede.Starring Brad Pitt who has also been in other classic flicks, Inglourious Basterds 2009, Snatch 2000, Se7en 1995, True Romance 1993 and Kalifornia 1993.Also starring Catherine Keener who was also in Tom DiCillo's classic flick, Living in Oblivion.Also starring musician Nick Cave who has also been in another classic flick, Ghosts of the Civil Dead 1988 and also wrote the classic flick, The Proposition 2005.Also starring Samuel L. Jackson who has also been in other classic flicks, Snakes on a Plane 2006, Deep Blue Sea 1999, One Eight Seven 1997, Pulp Fiction 1994, True Romance 1993, Jurassic Park 1993, Menance II Society 1993, Jungle Fever 1991, Goodfellas 1990, The Exorcist III 1990, The Exterminator 1980, Iron Man 2008 and was the narrator in Inglorious Basterds also with Brad Pitt.I enjoyed the music scenes and the atmosphere of the flick.If you enjoyed this as much as I did then check out other classic music themed flicks, Beyond the Valley of the Dolls 1970, SLC Punk! 1998, The Underground 1997, Control 2007, The Runaways 2010, Whiplash 2014, School of Rock 2003 and Georgia 1995.

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