Honestly one of the worst movies I have ever seen! Really if you have something else to do you should definitely prefer it.

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.

It seems that this film is really two films in one, struggling with another. There is the quiet, brooding masterpiece which has at its core River Phoenix and his search for home and comfort. And then there are the lesser parts of the sum, loosely inspired by Shakespeare, that seem to want to complicate the plot and insert these moments of literary richness. The scenes with William Richert's Falstaff inspired figure take on a strange morphing of the speech, not completely copying the language of the Bard but applying a modern twist on it. What results is a strangely stilted dialogue that doesn't have the poetic and symbolic power of the original, yet is decidedly stiff and uncharacteristic for the manner of street bums. It takes powerful moments from the play, such as Hal's rejection of his mentor and father figure, and renders them stale and emotionless. The real power is in that funeral scene, where the group sing and dance of the late Bob while a cold, frozen Reeves looks on from his own removed domain, no longer a part of them. It's a stunning juxtaposition, and you can feel the regret two ways as they attempt to miss each other's glance. This is more acceptable than the other theatrical moments of the film, such as wildly flamboyant client who has Mike scrub his floors, and a salesman who puts on a wonderful show and dance in the midst of their wanderings. These feel less natural and more of an obligation on the part of Van Sant, as if he was the Bard himself, trying to please a royal patron. So, not as to dismiss these segments of Shakespearean influence, but the real meat of the story is with Mike. He has an odd condition called narcolepsy which has him collapse and sleep at odd times of the day - and this isn't just a technique to feign vulnerability, but embedded within his character entirely. His dreams are the most integral clues to unlocking his psychosis; there is a long straight road that seems to go on forever and onto nowhere, and he peers all around to no avail, and retreats to his late mother's lap instead. Van Sant overlays these dream sequences with red-blooded American country music that sings about their proud land and country and all the wonderful things it holds. It becomes tragically ironic, but also with a slight solace, because they abruptly cut out once he wakes up and he is back in reality, and somehow in the midst of a client's session. It is suggested that he is almost trying to hide away in his dreams and reject his real life - see the strange way in which Van Sant's blocking hides the identity of the client as he walks away after he is done with his 'business'. And of course there are those gorgeous time-lapse sequences where the clouds rush over the never-ending plains. Their fleeting, elusive beauty renders Scott and Carmela's lovemaking almost robotic in its static still-frames.River Phoenix is the real star. Not only in his shattered, clipped dialogue, but in his body language. The pivotal confession of love by the campfire is made doubly vulnerable and heartbreaking by the way in which he hesitatingly spits out each pained line, and then curls up into a ball as if he were naked and completely exposed. Later upon rejection, he will desperately collapse on hard pavement and succumb to his condition all while sobbing - he makes this an art, not just releasing tears but allowing his whole body to break down and shake uncontrollably all while a unsuspecting Scott passes by in his car. He seeks solace in his usual clients, and for a brief, tiny moment, he seems to find it...oh, before they begin to pull his clothes off and reveal their truer desires. The initial intention was to have simply blackouts cuts to indicate Mike's narcolepsy. Instead we have these moments of pure bliss, that speed by all too fast and slip out of his hands. Clayont's editing is erratic and visualises his condition; they will jump forward in time in the blink of an eye, and cut during action jarringly, as if to indicate another narcoleptic episode that robs Mike of whatever pain or pleasure he was experiencing. In one instance, he runs desperately into his mother's former home, as if expecting an embrace, and the footage switches to that grainy, nostalgic POV vision, shaky and nervous, betraying his innermost desires, and then it quickly speeds past the memory jolt, and then back to him sobbing into Scott's arms. This is a masterful bit of film-making; to elicit such a strong emotional reaction but to do it in such a way that robs the character of any moment of solace. And we understand. Van Sant himself is openly gay, but there is not even a hint of personal circumstances or experiences that drive this film forward, but a feeling of universal loneliness. There is a secondary tragedy that this film evokes; that the young River Phoenix, such a tremendous talent, was taken much too soon.

Loosely based on Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part 1, Henry IV, Part 2, and Henry V, 'My Own Private Idaho' is A Difficult, yet Absorbing Story! Its a hard-hitting tale about human-relations, that has been Directed most effectively by Gus Van Sant. Also, the performances are top-notch!'My Own Private Idaho' Synopsis: Two best friends living on the streets of Portland as hustlers embark on a journey of self discovery and find their relationship stumbling along the way. 'My Own Private Idaho' deals with human tragedy & misguidedness. Its central protagonists, haunted by their childhoods, grow up as shallow & angry individuals. And when they embark on a journey together, much after developing a bond, even their friendship, sadly begins to decline. Its a heart-breaking, unsettling story of two lost souls in search of a better life. Gus Van Sant has made terrific cinema with 'My Own Private Idhao'. Although its not flawless, thanks to its dull pacing, but other-wise, it works wonders. The Maverick Filmmaker creates a bleak world, without any hesitations whatsoever. His Direction & Screenplay, both, are competent. Performance-Wise: The Late/Great River Phoenix & Keanu Reeves deliver amazing performances. Phoenix, especially, delivers a searing performance as a troubled soul. He embodies the part & stands out from start to end. Reeves is a revelation. He enacts a rather difficult part, with rare ease & understanding. A Special Mention for William Richert. He's fantastic in a supporting role. On the whole, 'My Own Private Idaho' is a strong effort.