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Alpha Dog is a raw and uncompromising documdrama, shockingly based on a true incident, which showcases a group of rich, bored youth with too much time and money on their hands, their outrageous behavior, poor choices, and their shock at coming face to face with the obvious consequences of what they do, even though that's not what this film is about.
Written and directed by Nick Cassavettes, the film chronicles what happens when a rich drug dealing punk, surrounded by his ass-kissing posse of yes-men, impulsively abducts the baby brother of a whacked-out addict who owes him money and the downward spiral this spontaneous and stupid move takes. But that's not what this film is about either...this film is not about kidnapping, or the evil of drugs, or the danger of having too much time or money. As explained in the opening scene, this story is about bad parenting. This story is about what parental neglect can lead to. This story is about what happens when your kids leave the house and you don't ask them where they're going, what they will be doing, who they'll be doing it with, and what time they'll be back. This story is about parents who put their own selfish needs above their children, despite the fact that the number of parents who are part of this story is limited, which is exactly the point.
Cassavettes, who has clearly inherited some of his dad's cinematic eye, treats us to some inventive camera-work and an improvisational directorial style. As a screenwriter, he has mounted a compelling story though dialogue sometimes borders on the cliché.
Emile Hirsh is miscast as Johnny Truelove, the drug dealer at the center of the story. Hirsh works hard at trying to make his character menacing, but never really convinces in the role. The rest of the cast, however, is excellent, including Hip Hop icon Justin Timberlake in his film debut. Special mention should also be made of Ben Foster, as the psycho addict who puts his baby brother in danger, Anton Yelchin as the baby-faced hostage, and Sharon Stone as Yelchin's mother, who has one extraordinary scene near the end of the film. This film is shocking, raw, ugly, mean-spirited, unpleasant...and riveting from start to finish.
Alpha Dog is a raw and uncompromising documdrama, shockingly based on a true incident, which showcases a group of rich, bored youth with too much time and money on their hands, their outrageous behavior, poor choices, and their shock at coming face to face with the obvious consequences of what they do, even though that's not what this film is about.
Written and directed by Nick Cassavettes, the film chronicles what happens when a rich drug dealing punk, surrounded by his ass-kissing posse of yes-men, impulsively abducts the baby brother of a whacked-out addict who owes him money and the downward spiral this spontaneous and stupid move takes. But that's not what this film is about either...this film is not about kidnapping, or the evil of drugs, or the danger of having too much time or money. As explained in the opening scene, this story is about bad parenting. This story is about what parental neglect can lead to. This story is about what happens when your kids leave the house and you don't ask them where they're going, what they will be doing, who they'll be doing it with, and what time they'll be back. This story is about parents who put their own selfish needs above their children, despite the fact that the number of parents who are part of this story is limited, which is exactly the point.
Cassavettes, who has clearly inherited some of his dad's cinematic eye, treats us to some inventive camera-work and an improvisational directorial style. As a screenwriter, he has mounted a compelling story though dialogue sometimes borders on the cliché.
Emile Hirsh is miscast as Johnny Truelove, the drug dealer at the center of the story. Hirsh works hard at trying to make his character menacing, but never really convinces in the role. The rest of the cast, however, is excellent, including Hip Hop icon Justin Timberlake in his film debut. Special mention should also be made of Ben Foster, as the psycho addict who puts his baby brother in danger, Anton Yelchin as the baby-faced hostage, and Sharon Stone as Yelchin's mother, who has one extraordinary scene near the end of the film. This film is shocking, raw, ugly, mean-spirited, unpleasant...and riveting from start to finish.