An odd movie, infused with dreamy psychodrama, shakespeare, and documentary elements that culminate in something uniquely interesting enough to be watchable and memorable. The narrative shifts primarily between a kind of subtle melodrama centered around River Phoenix, and a more exaggerated theatricality in segments inspired by Shakespeare’s Henry IV, segments during which Keanu Reeves is central. Ultimately this combination comes off as an experiment that didn’t quite work as well on film as it did on paper. As for the acting, River Phoenix does an excellent job and pretty much carries the film. Keanu Reeves manages well in the story’s more realistic epidodes, balancing Phoenix’s brooding intensity with a kind of cocky boredom. Reeves’ performance does suffer considerably during the ‘Shakespearean’ scenes, but the scenes are so strange to begin with that it doesn’t much matter. All in all the film is pretty quirky and artsy and more or less a depressing ride. If you don’t mind that sort of thing, check it out. The film’s subject matter (young gay prostitutes) may not seem as daring today as it was in 1991, but the film is still an important stepping stone that helped pave the way for later films dealing with similar themes.