Alpha Dog

Reviewed by:
Pete Hammond

This movie is on fire. Shot in 2004, this 2006 Sundance entry lost its original distributor and has been held up in legal entanglements ever since. Based on the true story of Jesse James Hollywood, a San Fernando Valley teen (Emile Hirsch) accused of masterminding the kidnap and murder of a 15-year-old, the film is finally being released even as Hollywood, a fugitive from justice who holed up in Brazil for four years before being captured, awaits trial while still trying to halt the film's opening. The names have been changed but the story is basically the same in this fiercely original shocker that provides a riveting look at a lost generation and an unpredictable real-life account of a group of teens in free fall. In this movie's version of things (for which director/writer Nick Cassavetes had complete access to the prosecutor's evidence and transcripts), Johnny "Truelove" and his friends are wild, completely out-of-control kids dealing drugs and living the highlife while their self-absorbed parents are apparently oblivious. When a drug deal goes wrong, Truelove decides to get even by kidnapping the offender's half-brother and holding him until he gets paid the $1,000 he is owed. Blaming the clueless parents as much as the teens, Alpha Dog shows how easy it is for today's youth to lose their way. Although the film also stars Bruce Willis and Sharon Stone, it's really a showcase for a great young cast who deliver performances that can only be described as explosive. Hirsch, Shawn Hatosy and Ben Foster are standouts with Justin Timberlake as Truelove's friend a complete revelation, creating a whole new career for himself as an actor. This edgy and startling film definitely starts the 2007 movie year off with a bang.

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