4 out of 5. MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO is a very creative endeavor from Gus Van Sant. From what I've read about the film I'm kind of glad the investors made him pull back on the Shakespearean dialogue. It was mildly effective in some ways but pulled us away from the emotional state we experienced with the "real" dialogue. High marks for the look and feel of this film though. It was nearly perfect. You can see what a lot of people were talking about in regards to River Phoenix. He embodies his character wholly and always looks like he's having conversations in his head about his next move or motivation. Great if not a safe way to deal with the subject matter. If you liked the Basketball Diaries and Stanley Kubrick films...you'll probably like this.
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