Review of My Own Private Idaho (1991) by Rick R — 06 Jan 2011

My Own Private Idaho (1991).

I know that it's sacrilegious for a Portlander to not really like Gus Van Sant movies. But I'm guilty. Gus needs to work on his editing skills, instead of big, long drawn out scenes that drag on forever. Try cutting to a close-up every once and awhile. His non-linear story-telling kind of gets old too. He also needs to have more music; and a little more humor wouldn't hurt either. Maybe I see too many of his movies.

Gus Van Sant shows so much of Portland (although mostly the shady underbelly). Sure it's dark, cold, and drizzly here; the old downtown buildings give the city a noir look to it; but that doesn't mean that you need to have all of your movies like that. Why do indie movies have to be such downers?

My Own Private Idaho is typical of Van Sant's movies. Mike Waters (River Phoenix) is a street kid with narcolepsy. He sleeps with old men and then wakes up somewhere else. He has some dream of having a happy home life, but the fact is, that he was abandoned as a child. Mike wants to find his mother.

Mike meets up with another hustler, Scott Favor (Keanu Reeves) who's kind of a spoiled rich kid. He's heterosexual, but still prostitutes himself. Scott can go home any time he wants but prefers this life on the street. Together, a friendship grows and they try to survive together, and even try to find Mike's mom.

There's also a little Shakespeare's Henry IV thrown in for good measure. This is considered a classic and one of River Phoenix's best. Keanu Reeves, who is always an underrated actor, does very well in this movie. I think that people will really like this movie, or really hate it.