The Criterion Couple

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Unbelievable! Akira Kurosawa visits the set of KINDERGARTEN COP:

Our week four film is…

Naked Lunch (1991)

“After developing an addiction to the substance he uses to kill bugs, an exterminator accidentally murders his wife and becomes involved in a secret government plot being orchestrated by giant bugs in an Islamic port town in Africa.” -Imdb.com

Check back for our reviews!

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An actual comment card from a test screening of David Cronenberg’s VIDEODROME.

frozenfilms:

Federico Fellini, 8 1/2 (1963)

Undoubtedly the best movie ever made. 

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From Stan Brakhage’s NIGHT MUSIC (1986).

Gus Van Sant has a fascinating body of work, ranging from ultra-low budget, home-made independent films to big-budget, star-laden vehicles. “My Own Private Idaho” falls somewhere in-between these two extremes, featuring the young talents and performances of River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves immersed in a thoroughly independent-minded story and production. 

Unlike Chantelle, I’m not a huge Phoenix aficionado, and thus haven’t seen much of his body of work, but his performance here is first-rate, and he stands head and shoulders above everyone else in the film. He is given a lot to work with, and he obviously took it all in and made the character his own, as much as I hate that phrase. Based on my own research into narcolepsy, his interpretation is spot-on and he really inhabits the role in a way that I wish the other performers in the film had, or where even capable of.

When Keanu Reeves plays himself, or even a slightly stylized version, he succeeds. Maybe not admirably, but he succeeds. Here, with a character he bears no resemblance to emotionally or physically and paired with overtly Shakespearian dialogue, he doesn’t even come close to what I’m sure Van Sant was hoping for. I can see him in the editing room now, wondering what to do with all of Reeves’ flat lines, vacant stares and poor timing, and just shaking his head, trying to make the best of it. And I’ll certainly give him credit for doing just that, but Reeves nevertheless greatly detracts from what is otherwise an interesting film from both a narrative perspective and a visual one as well. 

Van Sant’s camera work and coloring give the whole film a very nostalgic look and feel, lending itself well to Phoenix’s search for his mother and, in a more metaphorical sense, his past. The home movie-type shots intercut before Phoenix experiences a narcoleptic episode are extremely effective and give more insight into the character than any line of dialogue ever could. 

And I wish Van Sant had stuck with this story, the original he had running through his mind for two decades, while crafting “My Own Private Idaho,” as the secondary and tertiary stories just don’t stack up to it with regard to performances, emotional power and visual inventiveness. Both Reeves’ story and the one regarding a character named Bob and the street urchins/hustlers he mentors fall really flat. It really seems as if Van Sant had too many ideas that simply ended up being too loosely connected to create a cohesive final product. Disaffected, marginalized youth is a character type that Van Sant always knows how to utilize and I respect his desire to elevate his work by way of Shakespeare and an interconnected network of characters, but sometimes the simplest explanation (and exploration) is the best one. 

Phoenix so obviously excels here, with each one of his scenes coming to life so expertly that it makes everyone else fall by the wayside, and I’d recommend the film just to see his performance alone. But instead of allowing him more room succeed and create an even more rounded, fascinating character, Van Sant chose to hold Phoenix and his craft back, resulting in a film that hits some amazing high notes, but some incredibly low, sloppy and uninspired ones as well.

Reviewing Gus Van Sant’s  ”My Own Private Idaho” was a pure joy. This is the third time I’ve seen this film, and it undoubtedly gets better with every viewing. 

River Phoenix’s portrayl as Mike is a knockout. He plays a homosexual street urchin and prostitute who is on a quest to find his long lost mother. At one point he visits his brother, Richard. We find out Richard is not only his brother, but his father as well. Gus Van Sant gives quite a bit of background information like this on Mike’s tragic life. As a result, this allows one to feel a great amount of sorrow and sympathy for him. Mike is not seen as a deplorable prostitute- but a man with a heartbreaking story. Phoenix played the character soft spoken and thoughtful. His life ended up this unfortunate way because of all the wretched events he endured. You truly, truly feel sorry for him. Another actor could’ve made the character harsh, but Phoenix softened him. Keanu Reeves’ portrayl of Scott was subpar. Tom and I both felt he was reciting his lines instead of becoming the character. 

I’m not a huge fan of sex scenes. 99% of the time they are completely unnecessary. However, the way Gus Van Sant created them in this piece was fantastic. They consisted of shawdowy stills of the characters being intimate with one another. Sex WAS a huge part of this piece, and this method allowed the viewer to understand  what was happening, yet not distract/offend anyone with the material.  

Overall, an incredible film. Still one of my all time favorites. Gus Van Sant’s thought provoking material, and River Phoenix’s  performance make this a winner every time. 

au revoir-

 ♡ Chantelle

Our week three film is…

My Own Private Idaho (1991)

“Surreal character study focusing on the friendship between two male hustlers, Mike and Scott, in Portland, Oregon. They live on the streets, do drugs, and sell themselves to men and women. Mike is quiet, gay and suffers from narcolepsy. Abandoned as a child, he is obsessed with finding his long-lost mother. Scott is the rebellious son of a high-ranking family, who lives this life mostly to embarrass his father. Mike is in love with Scott, who still maintains he is straight and insists that his wild lifestyle on the streets is only temporary. Together, they embark on a quest to find Mike’s mother, traveling from Portland to Idaho to Italy, with Scott picking up a beautiful girl along the way.” - Imdb.com

Check back for our review!