As a cautionary tale for spoiled brats and neglectful parents in Orange County, Alpha Dog is a triumph. It draws you in with unflinching accuracy of how kids live their lives in certain suburban circles, and then it shows the dead end result of that high-maintenance LA lifestyle. Sort of like a Scared Straight program for the rich and (in)famous. Unfortunately for the rest of us, we have to sit through the film as it dives into a world of shrill and depravity.
Early in the film, the thugs in Alpha Dog make fun of a violent rap video, commenting that the only real thing rappers shoot are music videos. Later, when time comes for one of them to actually shoot a gun, he trembles and squeaks, “It’s not shooting a music video anymore, is it?”
This change in behavior provides a template for the characters in the film: they live a gangsta’s paradise modeled after Scarface and they do what every curious teenager want – play video games, get drunk, smoke weed, and have lots of sex – except there’s no rules and no limits to what they are allowed to do. They have the money and resources to do whatever they want – but people who don’t know consequence usually experience it the worst.
The story is a thinly veiled biopic of Jesse James Hollywood, the notorious young drug dealer who made the FBI’s Most Wanted list at the age of 20. Thinly veiled is pushing it, because there’s barely any veils. Alpha Dog follows the real life case to a tee in minute detail (writer/director Nick Cassavettes worked hand-in-hand with the DA that went after the criminals, who was later ruled unfit to prosecute Hollywood because of his direct involvement in the film), but slightly changed all the names involved. Presumably because at the time of filming Hollywood was still at large and, as of this writing, still awaiting trial. If you know his story, you know how this movie turns out. It’s a remarkable coincidence that Jesse James Hollywood is his real name, because he’s an outlaw like Jesse James, but his toughness is all an act, typical of Hollywood. This film shows how kids who act tough end up being just kids in the end when faced with real tough situations.
For those uninitiated, Alpha Dog follows Johnny Truelove (Emile Hirsch), a party kid who bought his own LA mansion and luxury at the age of 19 using dope money. He’s surrounded by skanky blondes and depraved friends, including the remorseful Frankie (Justin Timberlake) and the blind follower Elvis (Shawn Hatosy). When Jake Mazursky (Ben Foster) skimps Truelove on drug money, it starts a childish feud between them that escalates from stiffing restaurant bills to the eventual kidnapping of Jake’s 15-year-old brother Zack (Anton Yelchin). Instead of a hostage, Zack is treated more like an honorary guest. House parties follow him and girls spread their legs for the “stolen boy.” He has many chances to escape, but he doesn’t want to, thinking that things will be fine until Jake pays his debt. This is where Alpha Dog spends most of its running time, and it’s unclear why.
The acting is the true highlight of the film. Everyone fall in their roles naturally. Hirsch plays against type as Truelove, showing perfectly what a dweeb acting like a big shot would be like. Ben Foster plays a meth addict with such brute over-the-topness that it’s tiring just watching his ticks. But if you see the film, see it for Justin Timberlake. He breaks his own pop-star-wannabe-actor stigma by delivering a phenomenal performance as Frankie, the only character in the film that’s remotely sympathetic and likable.
The subject matter is undeniably interesting, but it’s questionable whether or not it’s worth sitting through scene after scene of kids partying, especially when the moral isn’t something new (Larry Clark explored similar territories with Kids twelve years ago, with the same approach). It’s hard to decide if Alpha Dog is a success or not, because it certainly paves the way for its message, but it feels like a waste of time to spend so much time on a nihilistic portrait of this generation, instead of offering real insight or following the crime aspect of the case. The most thematically interesting part of the film is when a character tries to tell a parent what’s going on, but she’s too busy having sex. The film could benefit from showing the parental relationships. As it is, by the time it gets into the interesting part of the story, the film’s already almost over.
"Alpha Dog" opens January 12, 2007 and is rated . . Written by Nick Cassavettes.
