Based on the real-life kidnapping of Nicholas Markowitz by Jesse James Hollywood, Alpha Dog examines the case that would make Hollywood one of the youngest men ever to be on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted List. Beginning with a montage of home videos set to Eva Cassidy's haunting cover of "Over the Rainbow," the opening sequence belies the violence and intensity that follows.
Emile Hirsch stars as Johnny Truelove (the fictional version of Hollywood), a drug dealer and the apparent alpha dog of a group of wannabe gangsters. At first, Johnny and his cronies seem like harmless white boys who fantasize themselves to be more hardcore than the rappers they listen to. Truelove lives like a prince, complete with a wealthy and powerful dad, played by Bruce Willis, who has ties to the mob. Also at his disposal are a court of slutty girls and party boys and one resident servant/b**** that would do anything for Johnny, including murder.
It is the surprise portrayal of Frankie Ballenbacher by Justin Timberlake which stands out. Timberlake succeeds where so many other musicians have failed -- including his former band mates (shame on Lance Bass for On The Line.) After watching him for 15 minutes you no longer remember his early attempts at acting (Model Behavior, anyone?), let alone his *NSYNC past. Although, admittedly, when he commands one of the girls to "Dance, b****!" it is impossible not to imagine "SexyBack" playing in the background. Timberlake truly shines as the majority of the film's comic relief.
The kidnapping and subsequent events are set into motion when Jake Mazursky fails to pay Johnny the $1,200 he owes. After several exchanges between the two, including Truelove getting Jake fired and Jake retaliating by breaking into Johnny's place and taking a dump on his floor, the rivalry escalates -- Truelove abducts Jake's half-brother Zach.
Frankie and Truelove's crew think the kidnapping is a joke, but still don't report it when they realize how serious it is. Once again, it is the rest of the cast rather than Hirsch's acting that steals the spotlight. Ben Foster's portrayal of the crazed, speed-freak Jake is very convincing and engrossing. That is, up until he busts into a party searching for Truelove and punches a girl before going Tae Kwon Do-crazy on the guests.
Anton Yelchin portrays the innocent and good-natured Zach with skill and depth. As Zach bonds with Frankie and his friends, his kidnapping seems more like spring break rather than a life-threatening situation. All this changes when Johnny calls his family lawyer and realizes the serious jail time he could be facing.
Aside from the hysterical howler-monkey style screeching ofDominique Swain (the only sane girl in the group) and the lingering doubt in Hirsch as Truelove, the acting is steady throughout the film. In fact, Sharon Stone's performance as Zach's grieving mother almost makes you forgive her for Basic Instinct 2. She is even compelling in the cheesy fat-suit in the closing interview.
Written and directed by Nick Cassavetes, Alpha Dog manages to skate between cheesy, over-the-top melodrama and edgy urban film. Unlike his previous film, The Notebook, he mostly avoids the former. Cassavetes took a risk in his cast and by telling the story of a horrible crime with barely a loveable character in the bunch, and it paid off. Alpha Dog is a surprisingly engaging and intense film that shouldn't be missed.
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