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Alpha Dog DVD > Reviews > Problems of a gangster...

Production Year: 2007 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over more

Overall user rating Alpha Dog DVD 3 reviews | Write a review | Add product to list

A difficult gestation period led to Nick Cassavetes's ALPHA DOG being delayed and facing possible legal battles after the real-life subject of the film (alleged kidnapper and...
more...murderer Jesse James Hollywood) objected to his portrayal. The cinematic version of Hollywood is named Johnny Truelove and played by Emile Hirsch (LORDS OF DOGTOWN). Truelove is a wild 18-year-old who deals drugs for a living and hangs out with his posse, who revolve around a core of Frankie (Justin Timberlake), Elvis (Shawn Hatosy), and Tiko (Fernando Vargas). When a client of Truelove's, Jake Mazursky (Ben Foster), is unable to pay off his crystal-meth debt, the group kidnaps his 15-year-old stepbrother, Zack (Anton Yelchin), who becomes a Patty Hearst-like accomplice in his own abduction. Indeed, Zack positively revels in his new position, and lives it up with the boys at every opportunity he gets. But Cassavetes's film really revs into gear as the cops close in on Truelove's band of outsiders, and they face a tough decision about what to do with Zack. The real draw here is Justin Timberlake, and he makes a decent job of his role as a bodyguard/friend to the kidnapped kid. Covered in tattoos and oozing testosterone, Timberlake revels in his role, and his female following will find plenty to gush over here. The film itself is executed at a lightning-fast pace, with quick jump cuts and on-screen captions that point out who the witnesses in the case were. Cassavetes plays around with split-screen techniques and nonlinear storytelling, but he remains acutely aware of what his young target audience is seeking from a modern crime drama, not letting the tension drop for a second. Small roles for Sharon Stone and Bruce Willis provide suitable support to the young cast, and a thumping rap and metal soundtrack supplies a perfect backdrop to the explosive on-screen shenanigans.





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Problems of a gangster...
A review by smittenkitten007 on Alpha Dog DVD
September 16th, 2007


Author's product rating:   Alpha Dog DVD - rated by smittenkitten007

Did you enjoy it? Liked it 
Story Satisfactory 
Characters / Performances Good 
Special Effects Unmemorable 
How does it compare to similar films? Good 

Advantages: compelling, exciting and emotional
Disadvantages: can be left feeling a little bored at some scenes

Recommend to potential buyers: yes 

Full review
This story follows a bunch of guys in their 20's leading the "gangster" life and basically living their lives partying and getting high.

The movie does not keep you interested enough at first since it just feels like watching "Big Brother" for a while. But then once they get into the Kidnapping, you realise that it is not your typical kidnapping since the hostage starts to party with his captors. There is a bitter twist to the story and you are left feeling completely shocked or completely numb. It is definately not a feel good movie despite the constant "party" scenes they have.

The main attraction of watching this movie was to see if Justin Timberlake can pull off his character, which I can say with complete confidence and slight surprise that he does. In fact he is very talented in his own right and he hits all the right spots in the film.

Overall, it is a good film to watch and has some dark moments that will conjure up some emotion. It is an interesting perspective into the "drug-dealing" world. 

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More details
Soundtrack Unmemorable 
How does it compare to others by the same director? Good 
Value for Money Satisfactory 
What format are you reviewing? DVD 

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