ALPHA DOG - DVD review

"Alpha Dog" is based on the true life story of Jesse James Hollywood (surprisingly, his real name), who became one of the youngest people to make the FBI's most wanted list. In 2000, Hollywood and cronies kidnapped the younger brother of an associate that owed him money. The boy, who was fifteen, was later found dead in a shallow grave. Writer/director Nick Cassavetes was given unparalleled access to case files by the prosecution, files that he probably shouldn't have seen. Legal issues led to Cassavetes changing numerous names and locations, but the basic story is still the same. While the late, great John Cassavetes masterfully tackled the crime film in "Killing of a Chinese Bookie", his son doesn't come close to creating as captivating a story.

Emile Hirsch (the future Speed Racer) takes the role of the fictionalized version of Hollywood, Johnny Truelove. He's diminutive and overcompensates by piling on the phony tough even if it's evident he has no clue what he's doing. Johnny deals pot provided for him by his father, Sonny (Bruce Willis), and, as such, affords himself and his friends with a nice house to do drugs and party non-stop. One of Johnny's hangers-on, Jake Mazursky (Ben Foster), owes him the paltry sum of $1200. The debt leads to a violent fight between the two and further escalates as Jake does the typical downward spiral of a drug addict. Jake's younger half-brother, Zach (Anton Yelchin) idolizes his brother and constantly sneaks out of his parents' house to smoke pot and drink beer with Jake. After Jake breaks into his house and steals a TV, Johnny and his posse go looking for him. Unable to find Jake, they bump into Zach and abduct him, thinking Jake will surely pay up.

Zach isn't the usual kidnap victim. He doesn't spend the whole time tied up with a gag in his mouth. In fact, he's placed into the charge of Frankie Ballenbacher (Justin Timberlake) who develops a brotherly bond with the young lad. Zach gets beer, drugs, plays video games, and even loses his virginity (in a "Wild Things"-esque sequence) to two girls in a swimming pool. Meanwhile, Johnny begins unraveling when he learns that kidnapping means a life sentence in prison. Johnny makes the call to have his most loyal flunky, Elvis Schmidt (Shawn Hatosy), for him and Frankie to kill Zach.

The criminal underworld of "Alpha Dog' isn't filled with dark alleys and urban decay. It's a world of privilege and suburban splendor where lush mansions, swimming pools, and SUVs are the norm. These kids don't come from harsh backgrounds; they have everything they could ever want. I suppose that includes MTV too because they speak in the language of a street they've never been on in their entire lives. They're just lazy, pothead posers that spew the F-bomb at the drop of a hat. The children of suburbia gone wild. I suppose we're meant to feel for them, but I didn't. I just found them all to be annoying and just plain stupid, maybe I'm just too cynical.

Since the film is based on true events, the conclusion is a given. The point is further driven home as Cassavetes sprinkles into the film documentary-style interviews with the characters as he questions them about what happened. There are also numerous titles labeling witnesses, times, and locations. Lacking the dramatic tension of a conclusion in doubt, the film chooses to string our emotions along by forcing us to wait for the inevitable carnage. But, we're forced to wait far too long.

Much of the film plops us into the aimless lives of sex, drugs, and rock ‘n roll, or should I say, hip-hop. We waste a lot of time on these scenes that don't further the plot along. When we finally get to the destination, the drama is done in a clichéd and artificial way. As Zach unwittingly takes the proverbial last ride, he confides to Frankie about how he'd like to learn the guitar and be nicer to his mom.

Even more ham-fisted is an interview scene with said mother, played by Sharon Stone, towards the end of the movie. Stone dons a fat suit and recites a monologue in a painfully obvious Oscar bait moment. Considering "Alpha Dog" wasn't even a blip on the awards radar, I'd wager that nobody bit. It's not at all genuine and neither is much of movie's drama. The finger is pointed straight at the absentee parents like a sledgehammer of plot. The adults are either too involved in their own lives to pay attention to what their kids are doing or simply refuse to be grown-ups. They choose to get as drunk and as high as their kids, desperately clinging to their lost youth. They hope to be the cool parent by driving them to parties, ignorant of what truly happens there.

I can't say any other actors in the film leapt off the screen. Hirsch doesn't quite have the presence that you'd think he needed to exude as Truelove. Most of the other kids attempt to portray the kind of strung-out lifestyle that was shown far better in films like "Trainspotting", "Requiem for a Dream", and "Spun." Even veterans like Willis and Harry Dean Stanton (the great character actor) are just wasted in miniscule roles. The one standout is former boy band'er Justin Timberlake. Yes, you heard right, I'm praising Justin Timberlake. At first, it does seem like Timberlake is trying a little too hard to distance himself from his N'Sync days. He's buffed up, covered in tattoos, and sporting five o'clock shadow. However, Timberlake is the only one allowed to fully form a three-dimensional character. The film's most interesting section comes when the plot veers away from Truelove and to the interaction between Frankie and Zach.

VIDEO:
The film is presented in anamorphic widescreen with an aspect ratio of 2.35:1. The transfer is really clean and pristine, but the colors are slightly muted. This is even more evident in nighttime scenes.

AUDIO:
The audio is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 with an alternate French dubbed language track. The sound comes in crisp and clear with the dialogue easy to understand.

EXTRAS:
The main bonus feature is A Cautionary Tale: The Making of Alpha Dog that runs just over 11 minutes. It's your standard EPK behind-the-scenes featurette.

The only other extra is the Witness Timeline, a photo and text-based feature that points out the various witnesses throughout the film.

FILM VALUE:
"Alpha Dog" is an unengaging film consisting of stock characters and been there, done that moments. The film gets bogged down with tedious, uninteresting scenes while shoving heavy doses of melodrama and moralizing down your throat. After heavy-handed films such as, "John Q" and "The Notebook", it seems that has become Nick Cassavetes' calling card.