Pierrot Le Fou

My Own Private Idaho

I apologize for my infrequent posting; I've lost the fire, lately. I'm still watching movies constantly, but I'm more likely to climb into bed with a book than to collect my thoughts on a film. Luckily, My Own Private Idaho lends itself well to the kind of schizophrenic, incohesive pieces I feel capable of writing at the moment. Like a lot of great movies, this one is inconsistent. Supposedly, Idaho is loosely based on Henry IV, which leads to a middle act where the actors very suddenly develop Shakespearean affectations that were difficult for me to sit through. It wasn't my favorite, but because of general lack of cohesion in the movie to begin with, the segment doesn't not work, persay. The movie is at its best in the parts when Mike (River Phoenix) and Scott (Keanu Reeves) are awash in the landscapes of the West, interacting and balancing with their environment.