Review of My Own Private Idaho (1991) by Jack F — 10 Jun 2008
Hey, did you know Keanu Reeves can act? I certainly didn't, but watch My Own Private Idaho and see what is perhaps his only successful dramatic performance. The movie is really about River Phoenix's character though -- naive, hopelessly in love with the distant Reeves, narcoleptic and helpless -- and it is through him that My Own Private Idaho transforms from a bizarre modern-day Shakespeare adaptation with gay themes to a quirkily universal story about loneliness and the need for companionship.
Maybe Gus Van Sant's most personal film, this is the most mature and stylistically unique direction I've seen from him. This ranks with Elephant and Drugstore Cowboy in terms of his best films.
It's dreamy and sad and relatively uncompromising with its harsher material. All in all a great, unique film.
This review of My Own Private Idaho (1991) was written by Jack F on 10 Jun 2008.
My Own Private Idaho has generally received positive reviews.
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