My Own Private Idaho Review
My Own Private Idaho (1991)
Cast: River Phoenix, Keanu Reeves.
Written By: Gus Van Sant.
Directed By: Gus Van Sant.
My Own Private Idaho is a independent drama movie based on young street hustlers, which is loosely based on Shakespeare's Henry VI part 1 & 2. The movie shows you the lives of a group of young street hustlers in Portland, but mainly focuses on the lives of the main characters Mike (River Phoenix) and Scott (Keanu Reeves). These characters are best friends and make a living selling themselves, Mike is a sufferer of narcolepsy in which he just falls into a state of deep sleep and Scott, although being a hustler and spending his life in a derelict hotel with the others, is the mayors son who is due receive all his fathers inheritance upon his 21st birthday. The two take a trip to look for Mike's mother, ending in Rome where Scott ends up falling in love with a girl who let's them stay, resulting in him leaving Mike, knowing just how much Mike had fallen in love with him.
Gus Van Sant should be known around the film industry more, although it is not a neglected name his work is very realistic and very him. Sant has done movies such as: Drugstore Cowboy (1989), Good Will Hunting (1997) and Milk (2008). Sant is not only a great director and writer, he also photographs and paints, so his passion for art does come across in his films, especially in My Own Private Idaho.
Idaho is filmed around Portland, showing these almost family-like group of kids in a run down, broken hotel, talking and plotting they're crusades to rob people for more money to live. However the key location within this movie is a highway that is surrounded by nothing, it seems to go on and never stop, but when Mike looks a certain way he see's a strange face made by the plant life and clouds as well as the road. That face is mentioned more than once within this movie and I feel is very expressionist.
The acting in this film is brilliant from the talent of both Phoenix and Reeves, the role of Scott who has few but slightly homosexual parts was slightly uncomfortable to play for Reeves (Not because he is against it), so the homosexual key was not really shown with him. However Reeves has to play this rebellious prankster, whose every line is wise and long winded to then change to who he wanted to be for his father; is a big change but he pulled both of. Phoenix played Mike beautifully, he even had some very blatant homosexual scenes and you beyond believe his portrayal, also he spent time with an actual man that suffered from narcolepsy to make sure he was convincing and did it in a way that would not insult true sufferers. Both men played as beautifully as they could in this beautiful portrayal of life.
The negatives of this film for me, is there isn't really an ending, but saying that there isn't really a narrative, it seems like its just a part in these kids lives, typing this I now ask myself; their lives have not ended, so why should the film? Contradicting I know but the more I write about these movies the more I see.
All in all, this film is great to watch and great to talk about, knowing how much both Phoenix and Reeves had passion for this film being made makes me appreciate it more. Also it is one of Phoenix's best work before he sadly passed. Idaho is definitely a film I call a friend, give it a try or use it for research because I believe it's a great film to share and read.
My Rating: 7/10
VF
Cast: River Phoenix, Keanu Reeves.
Written By: Gus Van Sant.
Directed By: Gus Van Sant.
My Own Private Idaho is a independent drama movie based on young street hustlers, which is loosely based on Shakespeare's Henry VI part 1 & 2. The movie shows you the lives of a group of young street hustlers in Portland, but mainly focuses on the lives of the main characters Mike (River Phoenix) and Scott (Keanu Reeves). These characters are best friends and make a living selling themselves, Mike is a sufferer of narcolepsy in which he just falls into a state of deep sleep and Scott, although being a hustler and spending his life in a derelict hotel with the others, is the mayors son who is due receive all his fathers inheritance upon his 21st birthday. The two take a trip to look for Mike's mother, ending in Rome where Scott ends up falling in love with a girl who let's them stay, resulting in him leaving Mike, knowing just how much Mike had fallen in love with him.
Gus Van Sant should be known around the film industry more, although it is not a neglected name his work is very realistic and very him. Sant has done movies such as: Drugstore Cowboy (1989), Good Will Hunting (1997) and Milk (2008). Sant is not only a great director and writer, he also photographs and paints, so his passion for art does come across in his films, especially in My Own Private Idaho.
Idaho is filmed around Portland, showing these almost family-like group of kids in a run down, broken hotel, talking and plotting they're crusades to rob people for more money to live. However the key location within this movie is a highway that is surrounded by nothing, it seems to go on and never stop, but when Mike looks a certain way he see's a strange face made by the plant life and clouds as well as the road. That face is mentioned more than once within this movie and I feel is very expressionist.
The acting in this film is brilliant from the talent of both Phoenix and Reeves, the role of Scott who has few but slightly homosexual parts was slightly uncomfortable to play for Reeves (Not because he is against it), so the homosexual key was not really shown with him. However Reeves has to play this rebellious prankster, whose every line is wise and long winded to then change to who he wanted to be for his father; is a big change but he pulled both of. Phoenix played Mike beautifully, he even had some very blatant homosexual scenes and you beyond believe his portrayal, also he spent time with an actual man that suffered from narcolepsy to make sure he was convincing and did it in a way that would not insult true sufferers. Both men played as beautifully as they could in this beautiful portrayal of life.
The negatives of this film for me, is there isn't really an ending, but saying that there isn't really a narrative, it seems like its just a part in these kids lives, typing this I now ask myself; their lives have not ended, so why should the film? Contradicting I know but the more I write about these movies the more I see.
All in all, this film is great to watch and great to talk about, knowing how much both Phoenix and Reeves had passion for this film being made makes me appreciate it more. Also it is one of Phoenix's best work before he sadly passed. Idaho is definitely a film I call a friend, give it a try or use it for research because I believe it's a great film to share and read.
My Rating: 7/10
VF
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