"You're mean boys who are just being mean!"

Topic: Movie Review

Subject: Alpha Dog

Based on the true events, Alpha Dog tells the story of a group of 20 something year old wiggas from Southern California in the late 90's. As ransom for overdue drug money, Johnny Truelove (Emile Hirsch [pre-Into the Wild]) impulsively kidnaps Zach Mazursky (Anton Yelchin), the 15 year old younger brother of Jake (Ben Foster). Undecided about what to do next, Johnny places Zach in the custody of his wing-man Frankie (Justin Timberlake). Certain Jake will pay his debt, Zach willing follows Frankie around for 3 days, while developing an unintentional brotherly friendship.

Allow me to share my immediate reaction: HOLY CRAP, what a heartbreaking story! Zach is such a hopeful teenager, a little naive, but looking to escape his overbearing parents for a moment. Only to land in dastardly situations, either with his meth addict older brother or kidnapped by a juvenile druglord. While held hostage Zach finds the kind of companionship he is looking for at home and begins to come into his own. Fighting for himself, for only a brief moment, and encountering teenage girls for the first time. Towards the end of his abduction he reflexes on what he has done wrong and wishes to change his future for the best. He is a great kid, with a hopeful future, he was only desperate for a momentary change to find some perspective.

Ben Foster gets his own HOLY CRAP for his portrayal of Zach's meth addicted/ neo-Nazi older brother, Jake. Seriously, Jake is one crazy mother f***er! I understand Foster went through a lot of research for this role, I'm not sure if it was for an Oscar nomination he was looking for, or if he is just this intense, but either way it paid off! Foster shows all the sides of Jake; anger, desperation, high on meth, psychotic, and his love for Zach. His only downfall is his fight scenes, coming off more of an action hero as oppose to a 20-something human being.

Snaps for Mr. Timberlake! While Frankie is not the most difficult character, JT performs very well for someone whose acting resume includes the New Mickey Mouse Club, Model Behavior and Edison. He excelled in his first "real" role, as I shall call it. While Frankie starts out as an ass, his character evolves as his relationship with Zach grows over his captivity. By the story's end you can feel their emotional attachment and you want him to do the right thing, which he feebly attempts, but ultimately resumes his way of life pre-Zach.

Other highlights: the witness count which grows up to 40! Slightly, hilarious. The opening credits of baby and family videos of the cast. Sharon Stone's final scene as Zach's mother years later. Her delivery of, "They say there's a reason for everything. If God's got a purpose for me, he better get the fuck down here and tell me what it is, 'cause I don't see it!" brings you to tears for her, and really makes you question the proverb. Otherwise, I think Olivia Wilde was given too much attention for such a minor role.

A

-M