My Own Private Idaho (1991)

Most undeservingly overhyped movie of all time??

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

Gus Van Sant tends to make very strange, surreal yet extremely realistic movies like Elephant, Drugstore Cowboy, To Die For, Gerry and so on. Elephant has it's own flaws, but I think it's the magnum opus of these realistic stories of surrealism, but this is definitely a contender. This is probably one of the more surreal of the films, as it ventures into magical realism, dreams, drug trips, etc. Heartthrobs, River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves lead the show as Mike and Scott. Scott Favor comes from a wealthy upbringing, but decides to sleep on rooftops, streets and have sex for money. He doesn't need to, he wants to. On the other side of things is Mike, a narcoleptic, homeless bastard. These two have an unexpected friendship as they try and search for Mike's mother, steal from a man named Bob, drive through America on a moped. The film is filled with paintings of shots. It's an odyssey. Most filmmakers are unable to achieve such development of character in 4 hours, but this movie does it under two.10/10Gus Van Sant is a genius and is wasting his time with projects like The Sea of Trees, Promised Land etc.

Having liked/loved some of Gus Van Sant's other work (i.e. 'Good Will Hunting'), as someone who thinks that Keanu Reeves has given good performances in his career and who absolutely adores River Phoenix in 'Stand By Me' (one of the greatest child performances ever to me), as well as being intrigued by the story's themes, 'My Own Private Idaho' quickly went on my ever growing "to see" list.Finally seeing 'My Own Private Idaho' was well worth the wait and watch. It is definitely understandable as to why it won't click, and hasn't done, with some, it is a very love it or hate it film and has its uneven moments. However it is even easier to see why people find so appealing about it, namely the acting, how the film looks and how the themes are dealt with.Getting the faults out of the way, 'My Own Private Idaho's' biggest fault is the middle act. Here the film does meander, with some dull stretches and narratively it becomes less cohesive. The Shakespearean dialogue is sometimes clever and funny, but too often it also jars and comes over clumsily.However, 'My Own Private Idaho' is filled with exquisite images, the cinematography being both dream-like and gritty and the scenery equally to die for. Van Sant's direction also creates this hypnotising dream-like effect to the visuals and how the story is told. The music is hauntingly downbeat and full of pathos.'My Own Private Idaho's' script is not perfect, but much of it is poignant and thoughtful. Despite a meandering middle act, much of the story makes the most of its daring themes and how they're dealt with ensures that the film is as relevant and resonant today as it was 26 years ago. It's told gently, but also with a grit and pathos that makes the film unsettling and moving.Keanu Reeves' performance has been criticised, personally belong in the camp who thinks that he gives one of his better and more natural performances that breaks the mould. There is no doubting however that River Phoenix's is infinitely better, an extraordinary turn that's even better than that in 'Stand By Me' and showed potential for him to be one of the finest actors of his generation if he had not died so tragically so young. They are supported by an electric supporting cast, riotous William Richert and creepy Udo Kier being the scene stealers.Overall, not for everybody but for me despite its imperfections there was a lot to admire here. 8/10 Bethany Cox

This movie is a perfect example of the importance that a director has on a film and the way the film will turn out. Gus Van Sant's erratic, hilarious and creative storytelling of a gay narcoleptic hustler is one of a kind in the sense that you rarely witness a story being explored in such a unique way. It is important to note that the narcolepsy our protagonist experiences, together with a short-lived childhood and rough situations lead him to a scattered, direction-less existence. This is portrayed incredibly well by Gus' direction and Phoenix's performance, as Mike's life is reflected by the fragmented and hazy nature of the film itself. Being narcoleptic, Mike has no chance of leading an ordinary life, as these bouts of sleep leave him powerless, in the hands of nature and others, and it is apparent that at some point he stops caring about where he will end up next or where he will be in a day, month or year. Instead, Mike's only able to live hour by hour, hustling from one guy to the next, not really sure whether a particular event has truly happened or if it is one of his many dreams. It is a strange and touching story, told in an even stranger and incredibly refreshing and original way: The magazine poster guys talking to one another, sharing thoughts on life as a hustler, sexual acts depicted through still erotic poses of the participants, and above all Bob, a character who is both a pathetic, fat thief and a spiritual, guiding poet. The kids: One of the most entertaining aspects of this film is delving into the lives of these hustlers, listening as they share their traumatic experiences with a sincere honesty and optimism, watching as they celebrate the life of their teacher and friend, Bob the Poet, by yelling and jumping and going wild; these kids were full of life. Mike: Michael's character is potentially the most vulnerable character I have seen on film; this person has no choice but to surrender to the hands of whoever happens to pass by as he goes through life in a state between reality and dreaming, never truly aware of where he is or when he wakes up. It is incredible to see Phoenix portray this complex character, one who does not seem to have any direction in life but one who longs for some kind of intimacy with someone, a highly ironic take on the fact that he supports himself by sharing intimate physical moments with strangers. Mike is often found talking to himself, lost inside his own head. He sees clips of himself with his mom dancing and visualizes these isolated wooden houses when he goes under. He has a deep urge to find his mom and with the help of his best friend he tries to locate her, finding himself falling in love with this guy and getting his heart broken when the guy falls in love with another girl instead. To see a guy that does not confide much about himself be so exposed and so vulnerable and express his love for this guy in such a fundamentally human way, to see him try to hug the person that is trying to undress him, longing for some kind of true intimacy with a human being; these little peaks into the soul of this kid that is most often seen lost in his drug-influenced mind are what make this film so immensely beautiful. One should not fail to mention the humor of this film, with scenes like the prank on Bob and the other thieves, Hans performing his outrageously bad one man show while holding a lamp. These scenes play an important part in the film as they give realism to the story, instead of the director and screenwriter opting to dramatize the already-dramatic lives of these young adults. It also shows the spirit of these kids, a spirit indestructible that manages to laugh at times like this and not take itself too seriously. Idaho signifies a special place for our character, a place he returns to every time he falls asleep, and a place where his fondest earliest memories exist. It is also the place where he'd shared a road trip with his best friend and where he'd confided his love for him. This road will never end, our character says, signifying both the endlessness of his situation as a narcoleptic hustler and on the other hand a sense of safety in this familiar road, and this is depicted in the very last scene of the movie, where Mike gets picked up by a stranger or possibly his close friend after being robbed by 2 others.

Gus Van Sant has always been an interesting filmmaker. He cares about character and story and through the process, his artistic integrity is able to shine through his work and that is why he's considered a prominent director in independent cinema. My Own Private Idaho is more of is more well known independent features and is often viewed as a triumph of independent cinema from the 1990s.The film follows Mark Waters (River Phoenix) an aimless, misguided young man who hustles on the streets and is yearning to find his way in life. His best friend is Scott Favor (Keanu Reeves), who is also a young man and and a hustler, but who instead is running away from his life in the hope of finding something better. Scott comes from a lot of wealth but chooses not to live that lifestyle because when he's this young and wild, he just doesn't believe that its right for him.However the film is centered around Mark, who is played with such brutal honestly by the late River Phoenix. River is completely dedicated to the character and brings a wonderful vulnerability to a lost soul and it makes him relatable. We watch him go from scene to scene, leaving us as unaware of his future as he is. We watch him make many mistakes and we want him to better himself but such a task is not easy. Because that's the way life is.Mark hustles because its just who he is. We don't know how he got here, but we know that he has fallen into this lifestyle and it has consumed him. He needs the money. All of his friends are hustlers, too. He has dreams but its tough to say if he ever truly wants to leave the lifestyle. It seems that getting clients and often falling asleep during it (due to him being narcoleptic) doesn't seem to take as much of a toll on him as does his thoughts about his mother, or his feelings for his best friend.Gus Van Sant crafts a very fine film here that focuses on such a lifestyle that we're not exposed to in our every day lives and turns it into something we can all relate to. It all comes back to that road, the road that we're all on. Does it really end? Probably not. Much like in the way that Mark is shown standing on that road, staring out into the nothingness. Its really about our lives. We live and we're happy, and we're sad, and we're lonely, and we're lost, and we've found ourselves, all of these things happen on the very same road that never ends.