i don't know why this movie have such cult following or appriciation?
is it cause, its a break through 'Gay' movie theme in the 90's?
if it's, then its fine but still hard to watch and very boring!
Personally, i dont know it's an indie movie, which im not a big fan of, but with many recomendations and review, i bought it's DVD (should becarefull next time!)
Story revolving about two male prostitute, who sells themself to both men and women, just to survive in out cold world. Mike and Scott, Mike is a gay, narcelopstic(i dont bother how to mention it), and have some pretty bad past. Scott, a rich heir who dislike his father and just waiting around until he get his inheritance while drifting in the road with his best friend.
sooner, Mike want to find her mother, and reveal a shocking (Disturbing) truth!
The movie have a decent plot, must say. but Gus van sant (director) is pretty lame!
i hate him, he tries Shakespeare lingo in the movie, and worst best was Keanu reeves have to deliver it, just awful!
River phoenix (his first movie that ever watch), was BRILLIANT!
he acts accordingly and save this movie from my 1 star rating to 2!
the other half star was how the stories goes, and bold scenes.
Keanu reeves was average, but he doesnt suits at all to play a drifter and male prostitue, no way!
Conclusion, this movie can't be conclude as there is no meaning in it. After the duration of 1 hour : 40 mins, you'll end up asking yourself
'Why they make this movie, what is the point? Just to tell the audience, hey look this how male prostitute life would be??!!!
GIVE ME A BREAK!!
The film starts out great, really original and intriguing and then it spirals into chaos that never doens't answered. The whole film had an amateur feel to it, like a point was trying to be made but wasn't. Keanu Reeves puts no charisma into his character, personally, i think anyone could have played that part. River Phoenix however, is faultless. His ability to show narcolepsy, despite not having it, is quite amazing. He really brings something to his character that Keanu Reeves lacks. However, others have completely slated this film but i think it is worth a watch. Its very different to your usual film, and there are some interesting poetic aspects to it. Not bad.
To tell the truth, this film was very disappointing. The summary on the back of the DVD makes it sound very interesting, however the briefness of the summary complements the film. Not much happens, and not much is acomplished. Mike goes to look for his mother, but never actually finds her. Keanu Reeves was incredibly dull, and very unconvincing. The words he said sounded as though they were being read from a script, there was no emotion, and his expression rarely changed. River Phoenix however was outstanding, and it is his talent that makes this film worth watching. The 4 stars have been awarded, based on his performance alone. Even when not delivering lines, he is in character, which just shows his dedication & proves him to be an incredibly able and inspiring actor. The director Gus Van Sant was formerly an artist, and it does show in the work. However, the tableaus used for the sex scenes looked out of place, and amateur. There are parts to the script which are very good, however some of the most powerful dialogue was weakened by Keanu Reeve's failure to deliver them properly. River Phoenix completely outshines Keanu, he is faultless, and plays the part to perfection. It is a very sad story, but there is some sort of unsatisfaction, as many questions are left un answered. :)
The film starts out great, really original and intriguing and then it spirals into chaos that never doens't answered. The whole film had an amateur feel to it, like a point was trying to be made but wasn't. Keanu Reeves puts no charisma into his character, personally, i think anyone could have played that part. River Phoenix however, is faultless. His ability to show narcolepsy, despite not having it, is quite amazing. He really brings something to his character that Keanu Reeves lacks. However, others have completely slated this film but i think it is worth a watch. Its very different to your usual film, and there are some interesting poetic aspects to it. Not bad.
Two street hustlers from the Northwest, one abandoned as a child, the other rebellious scion of a wealthy and powerful family, travel as far as Rome, Italy in search of the former''s missing mother.*
My Favorite Film. My Own Private Idaho Is A Surreal Character Study That Follows A Young Man Suffering From Narcolepsy And A Rebellious Son of A Wealthy Family Who Embark On A Quest To Find The Young Man's Mother, Traveling From Portland To Idaho To Italy. River Phoenix Is My Favorite Actor And Delivers An Incredible Performance Here. Phoenix Is The Most Gifted Actor Ive Ever Seen. Keanu Reeves Is Above Average In This Film Although He's Nothing Campared To Phoenix's Powerful And Intense Performance. My Own Private Idaho Is A Film That Will Stay With You Long After Its Over. A Mesmerizing And Spellbinding Experience. A Brilliantly Made, Superbly Crafted Film.*
"I'm a connoisseur of roads. I've been tasting roads my whole life. This road will never end. It probably goes all around the world."*
"When I turn twenty-one, I don't want any more of this life. My mother and father will be surprised at the incredible change. It will impress them more when such a fuck-up like me turns good than if I had been a good son all along. All the past years I will think of as one big vacation. At least it wasn't as boring as schoolwork. All my bad behavior I'm going to throw away to pay my debt. I will change when everybody expects it the least."*
My Own Private Idaho Is Easily The Greatest Film I Have Ever Seen. I Have Never Seen A Film So Powerful, Inspirational, And Compelling. This Film Is Exceptional And Extraordinary In Every Way Imaginable. No Words of Mine Can Describe How Amazing This Film Really Is. A Perfect Example of Truly Flawless FilmMaking. Smart, Clever, And Enjoyable From Beginning To End. River Phoenix Was So Damn Good In This Film, And Every Other Film He Was In. Phoenix Will Forever Be My Favorite Actor. Noone Else In The History of Cinema Can Compare To His Brilliance, River Is Completely Unique And My Own Private Idao Is A Stunningly Well Made And Original Work of Art. A Phenomenal, Incredible Achievement. This Is FilmMaking At Its Finest. I Love It. A Flawless Film...
The opening scene of 'My Private Idaho' is highly intriguing and very original, but within 10 minutes of this, the film soon spirals in to a messy, confused narrative and throws up some thoroughly un-fulfilling characters. Keanu Reeves is particularly un-convincing as Scott, with his monotone voice and expressionless face. He brings no personality to a character role, which given to a decent actor, had the potential to be very interesting. There is also the rather pointless character of Bob Pigeon to deal with, played by an annoying William Richert who attempts to give the character a poetic charisma, but ultimately fails this feat. The only real reason to watch this film is River Phoenix. He delivers an outstanding portrayal of a numb yet ironically sensitive young narcoleptic who struggles to scratch a living through selling his body. He is so convincing in his role that he evokes a genuine sympathy from an audience and really drives the characters fears and feelings home. The direction does attempt to be unique in its use of interesting flashback sequences and extreme close-ups, but it is very slow and although it has a sophisticated style, there is no proper justification for it in the narrative. I can't properly describe the angle I think the director was taking, as it did not once become clear to me during the 100 minutes of screen time. There are tableau's replacing what would be sex scenes, which I think is the directors attempt to be artistic, but this just looks distinctly amateur and contributes to the confused and messy narrative. The director says it bares resemblances to the Shakespearian drama 'Henry IV' but I have not read this text and therefore cannot identify the allusions. Perhaps if I knew the play better I might have enjoyed the film a little more. I've given it 3 stars for the late River Phoenix's perfect performance, other than that, the film is pretty pointless and highly un-satisfying.
This is often remembered as a blunt depiction of homosexuality that long predates the "groundbreaking" Brokeback Mountain. It's also often remembered as the one movie to contain a good performance by Keanu Reeves. The movie is certainly brave and continues Gus Van Sant's signiture traits as a filmmaker. I found it's mix of realistic story telling and fourth wall breaking film techniques quite interesting. However, I wasn't quite as impressed by the characters or story as I was with the style and gutsyness. A nice effort, just didn't quite do it for me.
It's mostly River Phoenix's crushing, emotionally resonant performance that makes this film work for me. Although Van Sant's experimentation could be construed as overwhelming, this is a truly original work peppered with haunting and lyrical moments. It doesn't always work, and there are arguably flaws in some of the stylistic choices made, but I found it to be a satisfying and riveting experience.
Gus Van Sant's often-beautiful 1991 film stars River Phoenix as a narcoleptic, Seattle male prostitute and Keanu Reeves as the rich friend who agrees to help him find his mother. After a solid hour or so of the two traveling on this quest through Idaho and Italy. Still, the film has a cult status one can't argue with, and Phoenix gives a tragic performance that stays in the memory. Many shots are purely there for compositional beauty, but they also create a larger landscape for him to paint his pictures on. The movie drifts in and out of fantasy worlds. Reeves is amazing, touching, and achingly beautiful in what I consider his best role to date.
The narcoleptic dreams of Mike Waters, a street boy who is obsessed with finding his lost mother has hunted me :) A brilliant road movie by Gus Van Sant.
Gus Van Sant can sometimes get on my nerves, but this movie makes me love him. So far the best one of his film I've seen.
I've never actually read the Shakespeare play this was inspired by, but I was able to "feel" the Shakespearian character to it... the dialogue is very poetic and beautiful, especially for a movie about hustlers et al. Van Sant makes their world beautiful beyond words; just something simple and beautiful and heartbreaking.
The story is really about Mike (River Phoenix) and Scott (Keanu Reeves). They work as male prostitutes in PORTLAND OREGON. They're pretty unhappy but they survive. And they're best friends. Scott is the heir to a very large fortune, while Mike is just poor and forever doomed. Their situations are thus always perpendicular to each other... they meet at this one unfortunate point but follow different directions. It's a heartbreaking fact, given that Mike is in love with Scott... Scott feels differently. In the end, their paths don't change, but the process of realization is quite worth seeing.
Like most of Van Sant movies, this one doesn't really have an identifiable "target". I mean, it doesn't really have a "meaning", beyond portraying this doomed friendship in the most lyrical way possible.
The two best things about this film are the beautiful cinematography and River Phoenix's performance. I mean, I was literally out of breath for a little while during certain scenes. There is one -now I consider it my favorite ever- in which Mike tells Scott how he feels... and it's so real and tender and at the same time he sounds so wounded and kind of detached... it's incredible how a single person can convey all those feelings in such little words. Keanu Reeves was good as well, a bit stiff from time to time, but certainly River Phoenix justifies this movie's single existence.
you see van sant here! river phoenixs's one of the few "worth living" actors in the world. the story's not great, but okay because here, it's just the details that matter. again, river phoenix's great.
let me just start off by saying, what drug were they on when they wrote this? well, good movie, i liked it, i wish the ending was different, but i still liked it. you need to watch it twice to figure it all out.
One of the simple facts of life is that with a Gus Van Sant film you get on or the other. When his film isn't a mess (Gerry, Psycho, Even Cowgirls Get The Blue) your in for something close to perfection (Drugstore Cowboy, Good Will Hunting). That is what My Own Private Idaho is. A touching and poetic telling of Henry IV. Maybe the only film to show how good Keanu Reeves can be when he actually tries but this film has to go to River Phoenix for a performance giving what ranks with the best of Brando, Penn, Depp and Day-Lewis. Phoenix proves in his last screen performance that acting can be so much more. You can't help but wonder how much great Phoenix could have been after this movie. Hell My Private Idaho is an excellent overall example of how much more a film can be.
A Very Poetic Movie With Great Performances Especially River Phoenix Who Is Fabolous This Movie IS About Lonliness And Without Too Much Drama It's Very Touching And Heartbreaking It's A Memorable Movie Which Is Very Good ... Phoenix Is Brilliant
i loved this one. river phoenix was incredible in the last performance before his death, but i dont get keanu. can he act or not? hes a bit kooky in this. gus van sant's second best behind elephant, i think
The search for home and what it really means. Deep imagery amonst the poverty and perversity. An apparent Shakespearean flavor to this muddled piece. Purposefully artistic but with only rare glimpses of beauty.
Destined to be the film in which River Phoenix gave the performance of his - short - career (superior, even, to his Oscar-nominated one in Running on Empty). My Own Private Idaho belongs to the very restricted group of films that can righteously call themselves art. A richly dense, beautiful and poetic evocation of friendhsip that retells Shakespeare's Henry IV in an original and intriguing way. An American cult classic and one of Van Sant's best and most personal films.
One of the most perfect films I've ever seen. Masterfully written and directed by Gus Van Sant, My Own Private Idaho is one of the most essential films from early 90s. It's a film about hope, friendship, longing and heartbreak. All credit for the success of this film goes to not only Van Sant, but to star River Phoenix, also. He's the perfect actor for this film and he proves this in many scenes.
Van Sant used many different filming techniques for this film and blended them all together to create a brilliant collage of realism. Documentary styles, dream sequences, wide-angled track shots and a standout soundtrack contribute to this film's visual appeal and narrative. The narrative, which is completely seen through Mike's (Phoenix) narcoleptic consciousness, is what makes this film so unique. Mike is a troubled person who has a bad past and isn't currently looking forward to a good future either. The film's sharp editing makes Mike's confusion of past from present and dreams from reality evident and important in the progression of the film.
Filled with symbolism and metaphorical meanings (the falling barn, the salmon, the tableau sex scene, the smiling road, etc.) this film can be hard to dissect, but when understood it's such a beautiful film that you can fall in love with very easily. Phoenix's performance is true and very strong. He evokes emotions that an actor can only dream of. When confessing his feelings for Scott at the campfire, the mixture of hope and fright that you hear in his voice is saddening. He's a character you can't help but feel bad for and watching his heartbreaking journey for the rest of the film makes it that much harder to let go of his character.
It's with the last scene of the film where Mike is alone in the desert on the same road as the beginning of the film where the emotional impact finally hit me. Scott is gone, living a life of his own and Mike is in the middle of a empty street staring at the horizon, abandoned. He falls to the road in another bout of narcolepsy. A car drives up to his body and stops. Two people get out and walk over to his body to only steal the shoes off of his feet. They drive away. A next car drives up and stops. A person gets out and picks up Mike placing him in the back seat of his car. The car drives off into the distance and this is the last we see of Mike. The sad part is that Mike was alone, abandoned and weak. He's picked up by a stranger and taken away. What faces his character is what's left up to the viewer to determine for themselves. Seeing as how Mike's luck kept wearing out through the film and he kept plunging into worse and worse situations, I can only imagine what might become of him.
A film that has more important meanings in its narration and character analysis than any other film I've seen in a long time, My Own Private Idaho is a disturbing tale, but is also a tale that inspires and brings out hope. I love this film and I think everyone should see it for themselves to generate their own interpretation of the events. One of my new personal favourites of all-time.
MCT:July 20, 2008
MCT:July 17, 2008
MCT:July 15, 2008
MCT:July 6, 2008
MCT:July 2, 2008
MCT:June 16, 2008
MCT:May 22, 2008
