Gus Van Sant’s sweet, meandering, existential tale of narcoleptic drifter River Phoenix’s unrequited love for trust fund baby Keanu Reeves takes place in lonely landscapes. Alternately a comedy of errors, a social commentary of those living outside the traditional economy, and a dreamlike exploration of the longing for connection, Van Sant’s Shakespearean dialogue is grounded by the sheer visual beauty of Mike and Scott’s long motorcycle rides through American desolation. In a way, it’s sort of a sad, gay, surrealist Western. – Lina Fisher
