Alpha Dog (B- or 2.5/4 stars)
'Alpha Dog', a crime drama written & directed by Nick Cassavetes, proves 1 thing, Justin Timberlake can act. Johnny TrueLove (Emile Hirsch) controls the drug circle on the privileged streets of So Cal. His loyal minions include Tiko, Elvis, Frankie (JT), & eager girlfriends. Life is a party. They have too much time, energy & $$ to do anything but play video games, curse, and take drugs. But Johnny is double-crossed over missing deal money by former-pal, Jake (Ben Foster), so he kidnaps his little half-brother, Zack (Anton Yelchin) as a sort of ransom. Problem is ... the gang likes Zack, and he likes them; not how it's supposed to go. But things soon get out of hand, the illicit time runs its course, & disaster strikes. This film wound up being quite a bit better than I anticipated.
Because all the guys in the gang like Zack and vice-versa, his return to his parents (including Sharon Stone) can be tricky. As each sun-drenched day passes, the opportunity to set him free (safely) lessens. All that was good and fun has turned grim. Johnny's desperate for the $$, does he know how to end this whole brigade safely? Does Zack understand why he was kidnapped? Does he know that the 'drop-off' may not go well? Can the guys in the gang convince Johnny to return Zack unharmed? Will Jake acquiesce to Johnny's demands? Some members become Zack's allies, but do they hold enough clout to divert murder?
The acting by most parties is great. Ben Foster is fantastic as Jake. He is a ticking time bomb right in front of our very eyes & there's no way of knowing what he's thinking or what he'll say or do 2 seconds from now. Bruce Willis (as Johnny's dad) has little do, but is always effective. Sharon Stone thrives in a stirring scene late in the film. Emile Hirsch succeeds as our loathsome antagonist. And Justin Timberlake is quite impressive as Frankie. At first you think he's playing a part that he would 'want' to play, or the kind of part his fans would 'love' him to play ... but when the drama kicks-in, so do his acting talents, & I was actually moved.
Negatives? Well, there's incessant profanity; but it seems to fit the tone of the film whereas another movie in a similar vein, last year's Brick (a movie about So Cal teen gangs), just came across as false. I felt like I was watching these people through a window, but not necessarily clear on 'why' they do what they do. Yes, they have sex, ingest drugs, blast music, load some guns, but why? But I guess all that's not the 'real' point of the story. It's always interesting to see a sample of teens in this generation; the culture of teens. The film is here to tell us the outcome of a situation involving a group of teens from which the film is factually based. I was nervous as the film played out. The performances are real, & really disturbing. 'Alpha Dog' isn't original enough, clear enough in its trashy execution, nor acted well enough to be considered 'great'. But it's still surprisingly effective & will be memorable.
Because all the guys in the gang like Zack and vice-versa, his return to his parents (including Sharon Stone) can be tricky. As each sun-drenched day passes, the opportunity to set him free (safely) lessens. All that was good and fun has turned grim. Johnny's desperate for the $$, does he know how to end this whole brigade safely? Does Zack understand why he was kidnapped? Does he know that the 'drop-off' may not go well? Can the guys in the gang convince Johnny to return Zack unharmed? Will Jake acquiesce to Johnny's demands? Some members become Zack's allies, but do they hold enough clout to divert murder?
The acting by most parties is great. Ben Foster is fantastic as Jake. He is a ticking time bomb right in front of our very eyes & there's no way of knowing what he's thinking or what he'll say or do 2 seconds from now. Bruce Willis (as Johnny's dad) has little do, but is always effective. Sharon Stone thrives in a stirring scene late in the film. Emile Hirsch succeeds as our loathsome antagonist. And Justin Timberlake is quite impressive as Frankie. At first you think he's playing a part that he would 'want' to play, or the kind of part his fans would 'love' him to play ... but when the drama kicks-in, so do his acting talents, & I was actually moved.
Negatives? Well, there's incessant profanity; but it seems to fit the tone of the film whereas another movie in a similar vein, last year's Brick (a movie about So Cal teen gangs), just came across as false. I felt like I was watching these people through a window, but not necessarily clear on 'why' they do what they do. Yes, they have sex, ingest drugs, blast music, load some guns, but why? But I guess all that's not the 'real' point of the story. It's always interesting to see a sample of teens in this generation; the culture of teens. The film is here to tell us the outcome of a situation involving a group of teens from which the film is factually based. I was nervous as the film played out. The performances are real, & really disturbing. 'Alpha Dog' isn't original enough, clear enough in its trashy execution, nor acted well enough to be considered 'great'. But it's still surprisingly effective & will be memorable.