Movie Review: My Own Private Idaho (1991)

As a big Shakespeare fan, and a fan of 1 Henry IV in particular (it’s probably one of his three best plays), I was curious to see how Gus Van Sant would handle a modern-day retelling or reimagining. At times, it doesn’t much resemble the play, and it’s more of this experimental Gus Van Sant drama.

But then occasionally it lays the Shakespeare on pretty thick. like most of the scenes with James Russo, playing this movie’s version of Falstaff.

There’s a nice little recreation of the scene where Falstaff keeps changing the number of bandits that attacked him. It was among my favorite scenes of this movie, and it’s probably the closest to Shakespeare’s writing.

But this is a movie to watch for the cast. Both River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves really embody their characters and their desperations — their hopes, their dreams.

They’re difficult roles, but I think they both do very well with it. They’re a bit shaky when the scenes go heavier into Shakespeare, but that’s understandable.

Rating: 8/10