Alpha Dog is one of those movies where, at first, you laugh and ask yourself, “What the..?” and watch wondering where it will lead you. Then you're drawn in and kicked in the head with the seriousness of a bunch of kids who think they can live the life of wannabe gangstas.
The film is about three days in the life of an ordinary group of teenagers wanting to be thugs and drug dealers. Led by Johnny Trulove (Emile Hirsch), they are a band of bored white kids who make fun of the gangsta rappers on television because “the only thing they shoot are music videos”. The irony is that it's these rappers that influence them and their lives.
When his friend Jake (Ben Foster) comes back from a deal without the money he owes, Johnny is forced to command the situation which leads to a confrontation between the two dominant men. This starts a chain of events that eventually lead to the kidnapping of Jake's younger brother Zack (Anton Yelchin). Eventually, Zack is used as a marker until Jake can pay back what he owes. In the meantime, Johnny has Frankie (Justin Timberlake) keep an eye on him until then.
In the two days that Zack is in custody, he begins to grow on Frankie and his crew. They party, drink, smoke pot and Zack experiences the fantasy life filled with partying, girls and adult experiences. In the meantime, Jake is looking for him, his mother (Sharon Stone) is going frantic, Johnny's father Sonny (Bruce Willis) wants him returned and Johnny doesn't know what to do. What happens at the end of those 72 hours will ultimately affect everyone's lives.
Shot as both a documentary and story, writer/director Nick Cassavetes does a wonderful job intertwining a journalist's attempt to piece together what happened with “actual” events. We see the story as it happened and through eyewitness testimony some undesclosed time later. His direction of the young cast is on the mark. The emotions he pulls from Foster, Yelchin and even Timberlake draw you in and makes you feel sorry for them and angry at the same time. You feel the friendship between Frankie and Zack build. You sense the desperation of Johnny. Ben Foster's portrayal of a hot-headed, ill-tempered Jake is emmense. It's too bad we didn't see his character more in the final acts of the film. And Anton Yelchin's portrayal of the “Stolen Boy” is extremely strong and engaging. Alpha Dog may start off slow and ordinary, but the film will reel you in quickly. Performances by the cast, most notably Yelchin and Foster, are excellent. Even Sharon Stone, in her small part as Zack's mother, gives a powerful performance. Justin Timberlake, at first, seems to stumble. His performance as Freddie is, at the beginning, almost unbearable as he seems to be trying too hard. As the film progresses, he begins to “get it” and ends up selling it, and he sells it well. The film is gritty and harsh with an edge that will surprise you. Apparently, it is based on true events. And, what's gripping is — I believe it.
The film is about three days in the life of an ordinary group of teenagers wanting to be thugs and drug dealers. Led by Johnny Trulove (Emile Hirsch), they are a band of bored white kids who make fun of the gangsta rappers on television because “the only thing they shoot are music videos”. The irony is that it's these rappers that influence them and their lives.
When his friend Jake (Ben Foster) comes back from a deal without the money he owes, Johnny is forced to command the situation which leads to a confrontation between the two dominant men. This starts a chain of events that eventually lead to the kidnapping of Jake's younger brother Zack (Anton Yelchin). Eventually, Zack is used as a marker until Jake can pay back what he owes. In the meantime, Johnny has Frankie (Justin Timberlake) keep an eye on him until then.
In the two days that Zack is in custody, he begins to grow on Frankie and his crew. They party, drink, smoke pot and Zack experiences the fantasy life filled with partying, girls and adult experiences. In the meantime, Jake is looking for him, his mother (Sharon Stone) is going frantic, Johnny's father Sonny (Bruce Willis) wants him returned and Johnny doesn't know what to do. What happens at the end of those 72 hours will ultimately affect everyone's lives.
Shot as both a documentary and story, writer/director Nick Cassavetes does a wonderful job intertwining a journalist's attempt to piece together what happened with “actual” events. We see the story as it happened and through eyewitness testimony some undesclosed time later. His direction of the young cast is on the mark. The emotions he pulls from Foster, Yelchin and even Timberlake draw you in and makes you feel sorry for them and angry at the same time. You feel the friendship between Frankie and Zack build. You sense the desperation of Johnny. Ben Foster's portrayal of a hot-headed, ill-tempered Jake is emmense. It's too bad we didn't see his character more in the final acts of the film. And Anton Yelchin's portrayal of the “Stolen Boy” is extremely strong and engaging. Alpha Dog may start off slow and ordinary, but the film will reel you in quickly. Performances by the cast, most notably Yelchin and Foster, are excellent. Even Sharon Stone, in her small part as Zack's mother, gives a powerful performance. Justin Timberlake, at first, seems to stumble. His performance as Freddie is, at the beginning, almost unbearable as he seems to be trying too hard. As the film progresses, he begins to “get it” and ends up selling it, and he sells it well. The film is gritty and harsh with an edge that will surprise you. Apparently, it is based on true events. And, what's gripping is — I believe it.