Alpha Dog has a powerful storyline but it keeps swinging around mindlessly as it tries to find the truth behind the real-life slaying of an innocent 15-year-old kid who got caught up in the web of his half-brother's drug-crazed life and the...
[+] Read Full Review

Alpha Dog has a powerful storyline but it keeps swinging around mindlessly as it tries to find the truth behind the real-life slaying of an innocent 15-year-old kid who got caught up in the web of his half-brother's drug-crazed life and the reckless stupidity of a 20-year-old drug dealer. Is it about the parents of these kids that were too lax or too overbearing? Was it the hedonistic culture that fostered these kids? What's upsetting is the true and powerful storyline is so painfully obvious that it's baffling why writer/director Nick Cassavetes can't seem to capture it.

Jake (Ben Foster, giving yet another great performance) is a speed freak who owes money to drug-dealing party-child Johnny Truelove (Emile Hirsch, who seems confused about his role and you can't really blame him since the script doesn't know if he's the main character, an external force, or how to develop him beyond a self-centered gangster-wannabe). After Jake crosses the line repeatedly with Johnny, Johnny goes to retaliate, but in an impulsive and tragic twist of fate, comes across Jake's brother Zach (Anton Yelchin) and decides to kidnap him and have him serve as a marker for Jake's debt.

What's odd about the story is that Johnny is so stupid; he doesn't know how to kidnap. Instead of understanding the seriousness of his situation, he decides to leave Zack with Frankie (Justin Timberlake), who arises as the film's true protagonist and truly tragic figure. Frankie and Zach party and have a good time until Johnny makes the decision that rather than face any jail time for organizing a kidnapping, he'll just have his boys, including Frankie, kill Zach.

Because Johnny's decision to murder Zach doesn't happen till the final act, the meandering party of the second act serves the film by deepening the relationship between Frankie and Zach and had the film focused on the two of them rather than jumping between Jake (whose ultimate fate we never learn, nor that of his real-world counterpart Benjamin Markowitz), Johnny's Mafioso father (Bruce Willis), Johnny's sycophantic friend Elvis (Shawn Hatosy), and all the BS in between, Alpha Dog would be a much stronger movie. It's a shame because Timberlake and Yelchin anchor this film with their honest and fascinating performances and relationship.

Alpha Dog is a frustrating film because it doesn't have the brains or the balls to ask the tough questions about hedonism, maturity, and most importantly, personal responsibility. The ideas circle the film, but never in a cohesive or compelling fashion. The film also lacks the heart to turn the story completely to Frankie and Zach, instead using a half-assed investigative report to frame the story where it's clear that having Frankie tell the story from jail would set up the film in a more tragic and reflective framework.

While the work of Timberlake and Yelchin are good reason to see this film, the way the film bumbles around the story is just too frustrating to deal with for two hours.

--Matt Goldberg, WantonDistraction.com

I'll admit that the main reason I watched this film was because it had Justin Timberlake in, and although it wasn't a fast paced action film like I was expecting, it still held my interest. I thought the ending of the film was very touching and...
[+] Read Full Review

I'll admit that the main reason I watched this film was because it had Justin Timberlake in, and although it wasn't a fast paced action film like I was expecting, it still held my interest. I thought the ending of the film was very touching and I'm glad that I've seen it, even if I wouldn't rush out and buy it on DVD.

Interesting movie based on the real life case of Jesse James Hollywood one of the biggest young lowlifes you'll ever see. Having seen various news segments on Unsolved Mysteries and America's Most Wanted, I felt I had a decent background on what...
[+] Read Full Review

Interesting movie based on the real life case of Jesse James Hollywood one of the biggest young lowlifes you'll ever see. Having seen various news segments on Unsolved Mysteries and America's Most Wanted, I felt I had a decent background on what to expect here. For the most part, it's not a bad movie but it does have a couple of flaws. In the end though Cassavetes does a good job of showing his own interpretation of what happened. For instance, he uses Bruce Willis and Sharon Stone to play the parents of Hollywood perhaps hinting that bad parenting was a factor in his pathetic behavior. With this I disagree because Hollywood (looking at home videos shown on UM and AMW) really looked like an evil punk. My opinion on this is that it really wouldn't have mattered if he had great parents or not, this idiot would have turned out to be trash either way. Now, I have to agree with the other reviewers that Justin Timberlake in was great. In fact he's perfect for this role Frankie Ballenbacher. He is brash, arrogant, a loudmouth but can also be serious in his songs and interviews. He plays this role as best as anyone could playing a real punk who thought. He may not have had the lead role in the movie but in my mind he's the one that stood out. Cassavetes changed the names too but he didn't need to do it. Jesse James is called Johnny TrueLove here, and the victim Zach in real life is called Nick Markowitz. The stories is still the same too, Nick's brother, Ben had a drug deal with Jessie and had a falling out and thus Jessie wanted to collect the money in one form in another. Another thing that the movie shows in consensus with real life case is that Nick Markowitz perhaps didn't take the whole kidnapping thing as seriously as a victim would. He is seen hanging out with Jessie's friends and blonde bimbos. Hell he even tries to pick up the bimbos himself. In all, Nick acts more as a guest than a kidnapping victim. I guess his expectation was that it was all a game and that it would never go as far as it did. Cassavetes presents Hollywood's hoodlums as the news reports did as accessories to a crime who were too afraid to stand up to Hollywood. It's clear by watching the movie and a couple of the reports that Hollywood wasn't well liked which makes him getting away with the crime at the time equally disturbing. However, for my money I don't feel sorry for these losers since all of them participated in the crime and they all deserve to be in jail. Summing up then, "Alpha Dog" is a decent recollection of the events about the real life kidnapping/murder case of Nick Markowitz. Cassavetes does add some things like the parents interview that adds unnecessary details for the movie and scenes could have been taken out , but I have to say it was a decent movie.

I have to admit that I liked this movie. At first from seeing the ads you think that this movie is a piece of junk. It looked like a timberlake vehicle for his to try to further his career. After watching it I found out nothing could be further...
[+] Read Full Review

I have to admit that I liked this movie. At first from seeing the ads you think that this movie is a piece of junk. It looked like a timberlake vehicle for his to try to further his career. After watching it I found out nothing could be further then the truth about this movie. It loosely based on a true story of some rich kids trying to play drug dealers. The story is how one kid owed another kid money for drugs and when he would not pay him they "kidnapped" his brother. There is where the problems occur. At first its all fun and games with the kidnapped kid. He is actually hanging out with them but once the lead kid finds out what kind of trouble there are in, things turn for the worse. The style and the pace of the movie are well done. There is one problem with the movie.. CURSING. Every other word is the f word and I think it has the record for the most times the word was used in a movie. If you can get past that you get to see a well done movie which shows the end of innocence among some privileged kids. Timberlake is decent in this movie as are the other stars of the film. The tempo of the movie is well done and I would reccommend this movie. Its worth a viewing just to see the rollercoaster of emotions. One thing I do not like is the title of the movie. They should have changed it to make it closer to the movie.