Review of My Own Private Idaho (1991) by Jack T — 09 Oct 2010
This Film proved that River Phoenix was one of the most promising actors of his time. Its a terrible shame his life was cut short because I wonder what great roles he could have played, I read in an article yesterday that James Cameron always admired Phoenix and wouldn't have minded him in the role of Jack Dawson.
The film begins with Phoenix playing a gay street hustler called Mike, who suffers from narcoleptic episodes, in one of these there are old home videos of him as a young child with his mother. The images of the rolling clouds haunted me for days. But the best scne is where Mike declares his love for Scott (Keanu Reeves) around a campire with the sound of native american drumming and a train in the distance, the scene is exeptionally refined and Phoenix wrote it himself, Mike is shown as so vunerable and weak, all he wants is someone to love hilm. "I love you, and you dont pay me" is a beautiful line. The film isnt about sex, it is about a sence of belonging and love between two people.
Most of my life, Titanic has been my Fvourite film of all time, but My own Private Idaho seems to be number one now. Its a brilliant arthouse film with the respective actors and Van Sant and their best. love it.
This review of My Own Private Idaho (1991) was written by Jack T on 09 Oct 2010.
My Own Private Idaho has generally received positive reviews.
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