Alpha Dog (Wide Screen)-DVD > Reviews > Kids, Guns, Sex & Drugs: An Average Night Out

Author's product rating:   

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

Advantages:	Captures the spirit of these youths very well, great performances by most of the cast
Disadvantages:	A few bad performances, not a film people of a certain age will enjoy

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

You've probably seen the trailers and they are pretty good but what about the movie?

Directed by Nick 'son of John' Cassavetes and with a twentysomething cast which includes Emile Hirsch (The Girl Next Door), Ben Foster (X-Men: The Last Stand), Olivia Wilde (The Death And Life Of Bobby Z) and Justin Timberlake (Edison Force) plus a grown-up cast which comprises of Bruce Willis, Sharon Stone and Harry Dean Stanton, I was expecting something interesting, perhaps a movie to shelve alongside 8 Mile and The Basketball Diaries.

First let me say this: If you are a teenager or remember how life was like when you were a teenager then you will understand this movie. If not you will simply dismiss it as nothing but a movie with lots of fun and partying.

I will assume you are part of the group who knows how teenage life is. You will therefore be able to see the highs and lows of such a life. Cassavetes has done a tremendous job at taking us to their world. He never once acts condescending and shows every character to be with positive qualities as well as faults. No-one is truly evil and those who do bad things do it out of pure stupidity which Emile Hirsch's character uses to his advantage. Where a film can go from partying and joking around in one moment to trying to kill someone the next without feeling disjointed is when you know the mood has been set right.

The performances are actually really good. I never expected Justin Timberlake to be good especially after the disastrous Edison Force, one of the worst films I have ever seen (although I blame that mostly on the direction and bad cinematrography than anything else), but here he's a revelation, giving a real performance that I never knew existed in him. Playing the best friend of Johnny who takes care of the kidnapped boy (they kidnap him as collateral since his brother owes Johnny money), he manages to be convincing in feeling that he can control the situation, perhaps even moreso than Johnny, yet not being a true leader and being just as gullible as everyone else.

Emile Hirsch is really good as usual and Harry Dean Stanton and Bruce Willis are excellent in their roles. They don't have much screentime but when they're on it you're giving your full undivided attention. Unfortunately Sharon Stone isn't as good. The script is well-written and asks a lot of her but she just isn't convincing enough as the mother of the kidnapped boy to make me feel emotional. The worst written character is the kidnapped boy himself who seems, I'm sorry to say this, like an idiot. Through the entire film he grins and says he doesn't want to escape because he wouldn't want to cause any trouble for his brother but although the film is based on true events I highly doubt this was how it actually happened. In fact someone who was at the theater with me (I watched it in the US) was wondering if the kid was mentally challenged (or to quote her: 'Is the boy retarded?').

The best performance goes to Ben Foster who is pure emotion and is extremely gripping in his scenes. He's the guy who owes money and although he's not a nice character (well actually none of the characters are likeable) he plays it so well you can't help but feel for him. I can pile on the praise but just watch the scene where he's getting fired and you'll see what I mean.

The film takes a sudden turn in the third act which passes by quickly but relentlessly as the mood of the film suddenly changes and the obstacles get bigger.

Another mention is the music used in the film: Non-hits (well, mostly) of the '90s played here marking the perfect mood for each scene with some great songs by Tech N9ne which should make you want to buy the soundtrack afterwards.

Overall the film isn't exactly something you could enjoy, especially when you're dealing with intentionally unsympathetic characters and a very dark theme, but is is good? Very. Is it great? Well once again it depends on how much you remember of your experiences as a teenager.

I recommend this film although it's not something you must see on the cinema screen and it'll be just as good on DVD.

ADDITIONAL NOTE: Martin Scorsese was originally intended to direct this film (Emile Hirsch still in the lead role). I wonder how the movie would have turned out although I'm pretty sure it would have been better.

See this film if you liked:

Bully
Havoc
8 Mile