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Film Review:  Alpha Dog

2006

Directed by Nick Cassavetes

Staring Emile Hirsch, Justin Timberlake, Sharon Stone and Bruce Willis

The Studios Official Description:

Nick Cassavetes helmed this gritty, character-driven drama based on the true story of Jesse James Hollywood — one of the youngest men ever to appear on the FBI’s Most Wanted list. Planning to follow in his criminal father’s footsteps, drug-peddling Johnny Truelove (Emile Hirsch) finds himself in dutch with the feds and facing a lifetime behind bars. The high-powered cast includes Justin Timberlake, Sharon Stone and Bruce Willis.

Satan’s Review:

It’s pretty difficult to do anything interesting with film without seeming like a heavy-handed artistic blowhard.  In Alpha Dog, Cassavetes just about pulls it off.  Cassavetes is a sometimes brilliant director who is responsible for two of my favorite films.  She’s So Lovely (which should make sense) and The Notebook (which probably doesn’t seem all that Satanic.). 

Cassavetes uses a fake documentary style mixed with MTV style titling that doesn’t always make sense or follow rules of logic, but works all the same.  It’s nice to have some interesting, yet completely unnecessary elements like these to give us something to think about. 

In addition to directing, Alpha Dog was also written by Cassavetes based on the true story of the hapless kidnapping of a 15 year old that reveals the violent, drug addled and sexually promiscuous side of the American youth culture.  I am really well represented in this film.

This film is a brilliant example of inspired casting (in most cases).  Emile Hirsch is solid as the lead character of Johnny Truelove.  A not quite ruthless ganster wanna-be with weaknesses that Hirsch reveals with a subtle and skillful flair.  Take this performance alongside his portrayal of Christopher McCandless in Into the Wild, and it looks like we have much to look forward to from this young actor. 

Shawn Hatosy plays Truelove’s little bitch well and Anton Yelchin is amazing as the 15 year old kidnap victum.  Ben Foster puts forth an incredible performance – in fact, he scared the shit out of me.  And I’m not easily scared. 

But as much as I hate to admit this, Justin Timberlake stole the show.  I fucking hate Justin Timberlake.  Yes, he has a good set of pipes, but when you use your pipes to spew out valueless muck like Future Sex/Love Sounds, in my opinion- you should be strapped down to have your pipes physically torn from your body and strewn on a clothesline.  But God damnit, the kid rocks it out in this film.  It takes balls to get in front of a camera with the likes of the rest of this cast, and Timberlake pulled it off like a talented pro.  In my humble opinion, he should hang up the mic forever and hone his acting with vehicles other than Shrek and the fucking Love Guru.  Or maybe he should just get himself a better agent.  I’m pretty tight with Ari Emanual. 

The film could have done without the embarrassing overacting of Sharon Stone, the seemingly bored out of his mind Bruce Willis, and the waste of a John Travolta cameo.  Stars like this seemed like truffles tossed onto a perfectly solid plate of pasta as an afterthought, just because they were lying around.  Useless, distracting and obviously, placed to impress.  Which I was not.

At the end of the film, Cassavetes cuts to a documentary style interview with a woman we immediately know is the 15 year old victims mother in real life.  It takes three seconds to figure out what’s really happening in this scene, but it was a great three seconds all the same.  I believe that Cassavetes has complete success with this little clever little piece of trickery. 

There was enough sex ,violence, heartbreaking stupidity and breathtaking lack of justice in this film to satisfy me quite completely.  Even more satisfying is that it’s a true story.  I am strong.   I give this one a solid 3.5.  Almost a 4.  Worth renting.  

 Rating:

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