Alpha Dog Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
Inspired by true events.
How did a crime with this many witnesses go so far?
How did it ever go so far?
One crime. 3 days. 38 witnesses.
In 1999, in Claremont, California, the violent Jake Mazursky owes US$ 1,200.00 to the coward drug dealer Johnny Truelove, who is son of the powerful criminal Sonny Truelove. They fight and start a personal war, with Jake breaking into the house of Johnny with his friends, stealing the TV and leaving excrement in the living room. Johnny kidnaps Jake's fifteen year old brother Zach Mazurka, who has just had an argument with his parents, and brings him to the upper class house of his friend Frankie Ballenbacher. Along a couple of days, Zach meets the friends of Frankie, goes to parties, drinks boozes, smokes pot and has sex with other teenagers. When Johnny realizes that kidnapping means life sentence, he asks the servile scum Elvis Schmidt to kill the boy.
| Bruce Willis | Sonny Truelove |
| Matthew Barry | Interviewer |
| Emile Hirsch | Johnny Truelove |
| Fernando Vargas | Tiko 'TKO' Martinez |
| Vincent Kartheiser | Pick Giamo |
| Justin Timberlake | Frankie Ballenbacher |
| Shawn Hatosy | Elvis Schmidt |
| Heather Wahlquist | Wanda Haynes |
| Alex Solowitz | Bobby '911' |
| Alec Vigil | P.J. Truelove |
| Harry Dean Stanton | Cosmo Gadabeeti |
| Frank Cassavetes | Adrian Jones |
| Nicole Dubos | Neighborhood Girl on Couch |
| Regina Rice | Dance Bitch Girl |
| Laura Nativo | Party Girl |
| Nick Cassavetes |
6.80 out of 10 (16297 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Good cast, good story ... good movie!
posted on 14 Aug 2009I watched the movie in a sneak preview. I didn't really know what I was in for. But I got pleasantly surprised ... I mean Justin Timberlake as an actor? I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who had/has prejudices about that. But he was really good. I saw Edison too, but he had Morgan Freeman and others by his side. I still can't say for sure if he acted in this one or if it's just an expansion of his personality (only time will tell . which means more movies with him), but I do think that he is good. Not De Niro/Pacino good, but good! :o) He is the first recognizable name of the young actors of course. You can't obviously forget about Sharon Stone (she's BTW in the one scene I don't like at all, because the scene is to long and it looks like Sharon made the director/editor lengthen that scene, just to show off ... her acting skills) and Bruce Willis. But besides them you also have Ben Foster, who some might know form his TV Work, others from his great job in the movie Hostage, but most will recognise as that Angel in X-Men 3! I could name the other young actors too, whom did all a great job in this movie, but you can also read their names on the IMDb list for the movie.I liked the movie, because it's an honest, dramatic and sometimes funny look at small time crime-rs.
I thought it was excellent
posted on 27 Jul 2009I followed the Jesse James Hollywood story closely, and I think that the movie, although only based on the story, was very moving and seemed to portray the way the situation could have happened. Emile Hirsch and Justin Timberlake were incredible. I remember the father being interviewed on America's most wanted and it really seemed to be realistic. Shawn Hatosy is a great actor that seems to never get the credit that he should. He should be more of a lead than just a character actor by now. His body of work is impressive. Emile Hirsch has been terrific in everything I've seen him in. Also, Anton Yelchin and Julie Beckley are always impressive. Of course, Bruce Willis, Sharon Stone and Harry Dean Stanton are always stellar and make their characters real.
Powerful and realistic. Well done by Cassavetes and Timberlake.
posted on 25 Jul 2009Alpha Dog starts off as what seems like a movie all about a group of friends who life their idea of the American dream: doing drugs, having sex, and hanging out with each other not a care in the world. However, when their leader, Johnny Truelove (Emile Hirsch), decides to kidnap the brother (Anton Yelchin) of a man (Ben Foster) who owes him drug money, their perfect world begins to shatter as they realize that their mindless prank has become a situation that could get them stuck in jail for the rest of their lives.The acting is pretty good considering the cast is mostly young men with little to no experience. First, you have Anton Yelchin, whom the plot centers around. He is the young man trying to grow up, and finds a real sense of comfort in his captors, as weird as it sounds. He does a great job building a likable, yet flawed character. The film definitely displays likable characters, but the audience has to remember that these characters are not good people. Ben Foster has always been around in my eyes, and he delivers his most intense role yet as the scary and sadistic Jake Mazursky. Very good job. Emile Hirsch is steadily developing into a good leading man after nice turns in Lords of Dogtown and The Girl Next Door. He's the leader of the group, and he has a certain presence despite his small size that reminds the viewer who's in command. Sharon Stone continues to defy my expectations of her after watching her in Bobby and this film. Very intense and powerful performance, which is very heartfelt at the end of the film. However, none of these performances stack up close to that of GASP Justin Timberlake. Timberlake really stood out to me in the film as Frankie, Johnny's best friend. He develops a strong friendship with Yelchin's character, and Timberlake really steals the show the whole time. His character is the most believable and likable of the bunch. Bruce Willis and Shawn Hatosy are also good in limited screen time (I don't think I've seen Willis have this much hair in a long time).Nick Cassavetes does a good job as director, giving us the exact opposite of his most famous work to date, The Notebook. He delivers the gritty and realistic feel of 1999 Southern California and gets great performances out of actors who you don't really expect it from. The film definitely was better than I expected because of Justin Timberlake. I thought he would make the film worse but he made it better. It has some sex scenes and nudity, not to mention a lot of language, so Alpha Dog isn't really appropriate for anyone under 16 or 17. With a good ensemble cast, a good script, good direction, and a heart wrenching climax, Alpha Dog is a good movie to watch.8/10 --spy
Really, really good.
posted on 25 Jul 2009A lot of people don't want to see this movie because of Justin Timberlake or the trailer. So I'll address both of those issues.If you can look past whatever stereotype you have of Justin Timberlake, you'll really enjoy his character. Sure, it's hard to picture him as a tough guy and no, I don't think he's a superb actor. But he brings his character across, and well. I really suggest trying to get past the fact of who he is and go see the movie.Number 2, the trailer. I saw the trailer, and I still went. And in response to another person's comment "you've seen it all if you've seen the trailer." I can definitely say that is not the case. The end of this movie completely surprised me, and no trailer prepared me for that.Overall, the movie starts off a bit slow and you kind of wonder what will happen. Then it picks up and doesn't stop.Sure there are drugs and violence and sex and everything. And if you're not a person who has ever done any of the above or wanted to ever, in that case I guess I would say not to see it. How many movies out there are full of sex and violence and cursing? People can't really find a legitimate reason this movie is bad, so they blame it on that stuff. It's a movie. A movie that happens to do with drugs. You can't have a movie about the drug life and all that happens in it without ever having any parties happen...come on now...I'm terrible at writing comments, but I felt this movie needed one. I LOVED Alpha Dog, and I'm making everyone I know go see it. So if you can take one thing away from this...PLEASE GO SEE THIS MOVIE. It will be well worth your while, I mean it :).
Kind of boring
posted on 19 Jul 2009This film has an interesting story to tell, but the delivery is pretty boring. I can't comment on the ending, either, as I would spoil it completely.Basically, it shows a community of spoiled rich kids, running drugs and acting tough and being really stupid. And there are consequences.Bruce Willis and Sharon Stone play secondary roles, also Harry Dean Stanton appears in the second movie with him I've seen tonight (what are the odds?), Justin Timberlake plays a major role, yet not a difficult one. I would say that the hardest and most demanding roles in the movie were played by Ben Foster and Anton Yelchin, and they did good.Bottom line: it's like a rich kid's version of gangster movies.
Almost entertaining
posted on 19 Jul 2009First of all, J.T is not a tough or intimidating guy, he's got a high voice, a pretty-boy face and the 'slang' does not suit him at all. The same goes for his partners, just really bad casting. The story itself is pretty unrealistic, there's no moral, sensation or humor the only thing it has is drama. Also the main characters are immensely brainless and that doesn't really help to sympathize or in any other way get into the movie. The movie is basically about a group of people that make really stupid decisions. It's built around the plot which I thought was comparable to a small 'poof' after lighting a big firecracker. It's just a lame and over-hyped movie without a backbone. Not even worth a lazy Sunday.
Letting yourself get sucked in too far...
posted on 17 Jul 2009This is one of those films where you feel the tension building and you constantly ask yourself why the characters didn't just quit while they were ahead, cut their losses. Then again, you can't think logically, because the real protagonists didn't.This is a jacked up story, but life is like that, especially with young criminals. It is especially tragic to see how Justin Timberlake's character can't stand on his own two feet and instead gets pushed around and also how people like "Elvis" will go too far for nothing but respect. Altogether this is a good film, but one that leaves you wondering how people can let their lives take turns like this. Also, a great performance out of J.T.
Impressed
posted on 15 Jul 2009Impressed. So the movie is starring an ex-NSync member, the awkward guy from "The Girl Next Door", the girl from "Mean Girls", the girl from the OC, the archangel from X-3, and plenty more random people. I never expected Sharon Stone to take on such a small role but she played it very well. Anyways back to my point...I was impressed by these young actors who were able to grasp the characters so well. Of course it was amusing at first to watch Justin acting hard, but as the movie progressed, it seemed to have to a lot of depth. The acting felt so genuine especially due to Ben Foster's character. The "stolen boy" also made a breakthrough performance (never saw him from anywhere else) which surprised me. I was expecting to just see a flick with some drugs, violence, and teen behavior, and I did, but it was so much more than just that.I was impressed.
Fantastic.
posted on 07 Jul 2009This was a wonderful movie. It was intense and it just reeled me in. The acting was amazing, minus a thirty second scene with Dominique Swain. There were so many talented young actors in this, not to mention some major league stars(Bruce Willis, Sharon Stone). Some of the younger actors include Emile Hirch of The Dangerous Lives of Alter Boys, Ben Foster of Hostage, Lukas Haas of Boys, Vincent Kartheiser of Masterminds, Shawn Hatosy of Outside Providence, and Amanda Seyfried of Mean Girls. I saw it four hours ago and I can't stop thinking about it. It, literally, has been all that I'm thinking about. I ADORED this movie.
wow so powerful
posted on 07 Jul 2009man, I almost passed this movie up, but after watching it I'm so glad I didn't. I always saw ads for it, but I just thought 'great! another stupid gangster movie with justin timberlake as a badass. I'll remember to never see this'. But then I saw many of my favorite actors in it and I decided to give it a shot.This movie just blows my mind. I mean, its just so real (not just because its based on actual events), but because for one the performances were just so strong. Some may say that it was a little over top on them trying to be badasses. But I know people that are exactly like that so I bought that completely.I watched the trailer and read up on the movie but never the actual events. I even heard somewhere that the kid does die, but watching the movie I just didn't buy it. I mean, I figured it'd be a grade A typical movie where regardless of how the real story ended this was going to be happy. The kid had it good, he loved it there. Even some of the kidnappers loved it there.This story is a sad story for everyone involved, though. These kids were just looking for a way out and they chose the worst way possible. I mean, how could they possibly think it was a good idea to help them get out of trouble by killing the kid? One of the reasons they couldn't just let him go in the first place is because his brother knew and would go looking for him and they worried the boy would tell. But killing was the worst idea for one killing is just horrible and for two all of these people have already seen them with him and they told them that he was kidnapped. How could this movie just not blow your mind because of that.I actually had tears in my eyes when they killed the kid. It was so unexpected. This is definitely a movie you should check out. The performances were so great that if I didn't know any better I would have thought I was actually watching a real life kidnapping and murder. The only thing horrible about this film is that this is based on true events.
young cast, great plot...
posted on 01 Jul 2009This film is witty, funny, sarcastic, cool, visually appealing and very very deep and serious. No nonsense film in which the plot takes time to set in. But once the stage is set, there is no stopping the wild ride. You dunno whats happening next. There are some great scenes in this film which are visually very very appealing. There is one scene in which Johnny is calling Jake to talk bout his brother, they show the conversation in spilt screen. One one side u see jake hollering like a psycho and on the other side u see Johnny cool as a cucumber....two contrasting states of expression. However eventually one realises that its johnny who is a nervous wreck. Then the climax...when Frankie and Elvis take jake's brother in the car....i din expect what i would be witnessing the following few moments...I am not spoiling the suspense for you lots...all I wanna say is if u wanna see a young, fresh, gangster film with sarcastic and slapstick humour, bundled with a kick arse attitude, please dun miss this one...lest u will regret it.cheers and happy viewing.
justin's a surprise in this movie
posted on 29 Jun 2009this isn't going to be a standard review cuz i haven't written one in years, but i'll tell you this, if you're a fan of bruce willis or sharon stone, you might not get what you think... from the previews, it looks like both of them are pretty important to the movie, and technically they are, their characters are very important, and emile hirsch (johnny truelove) may be the main character in this storyline but justin timberlake (frankie ballenbacher) comes out as the star...ignore the negative reviews you may have heard or read, forget the rumors, gossip and nonsense that's been running wild lately, if it makes his acting easier to swallow, simply forget the music as well... go into this movie with an open mind and you'll be more than pleasantly surprised by justin's performance... many of the females in the audience admitted to me that they went to see the movie because he was in there, and i say great, because only a few, and i do mean a few (like 2 people) said they were shocked by his language and attitude in the movie, to which all i could say was "it's based on a true story, he had to remain true to his character, don't confuse frankie with justin."of the people i spoke with at length after wards, most of them walked away with the feeling of having gotten their money's worth and more than half of them said, and i quote, "justin was amazing!" all i can say is this, justin steals every scene he's in, if the critics and naysayers could back off long enough to recognize true talent when they see it, maybe this movie will get the credit it deserves... hats off to justin for his outstanding, award worthy performance... and this is not coming from an NSYNC fan, cuz to be honest, i know their music but wouldn't put myself in the same category as their "fans", i'm a movie fan and if something isn't worth my time, i don't watch and i certainly don't pay for it, but i've seen this movie twice now and believe me when i say it won't be my last...
One of the best movies I've ever seen
posted on 29 Jun 2009I went to watch this movie without knowing anything about it. The only reason I watched it was because I was a Justin Timberlake fan. However, I came out of the theaters in AWE of how incredible the movie actually was, without Justin Timberlake's help. Although he did an amazing job, he wasn't the only reason I fell in love with the movie. The storyline is incredible and the acting is even better. Each character played their part so convincingly. This movie made me laugh just as much as it made me want to cry. I've watched this movie almost 20 times since it's been out and I still want to watch it more. It is probably one of the only movies I've ever "craved" and wanted more of each time I watch it. The fact that it's based on a true story makes the movie even better because it really makes you feel heartache for some characters and hatred for others. Each actor played their part fantastically and I give this movie a definite 10 out of 10.
what a boring movie
posted on 25 Jun 2009sex,drug and crime all same sh.ts.... but its bad one....Nick Cassavetes forgot big brother Mazursky ! anybody tell me ,where he ? oh god !!!what a boring movie!! and why some famous peoples acting in this movie ? (I mean Bruce Willis,Sharon Stone) look at cast crew on the IMDb ! did you see any Mazursky ??? you must click more .... I want talk about this movie but I can't.. my all ideas negative about this movie..boring ,bad , disgusting , suck , terrible , horrible etc.
Great Cast, good film.
posted on 21 Jun 2009Just watched this the night before I'm writing this and I have to say I enjoyed the film, but felt it was too long.This is an excellent example of how stupid kids get caught up in a lifestyle they don't know and don't understand. Watching the white, suburbanite gangster wannabe attitudes made the characters get on my nerves. Especially when you see what kind of environments they grew up in yet they still lived the way they did. It seemed to me these kids had a choice. All I could keep saying to myself throughout the movie was that these kids were really stupid. The only exception is Emile Hirshs' character. Obviously the other characters followed his lead, and he knew how to manipulate them. They did his dirty work and paid the price, so it was extremely gratifying to see in the end that he is paying his dues.I thought there were some great performances - Emile Hirsch is always a standout, Anton Yelchin was great, and Ben Foster was very intense. His performance was unnerving! I thought JT was good, not great. I didn't feel like his character was much of a stretch - it was a fairly stereotypical character. JT has talent, and this was a good starting out role. I'm sure he'll get better with time. The rest of the supporting cast was fine. Although I still don't think Sharon Stone is a good actress.The movie dragged on a bit with all the partying. The exposition was provided early on and they did a good job developing the relationship with Zach as the movie went on, but I felt like overall the movie was about 20-25 minutes too long. All in all, a tragic story about dumb kids getting in way over their heads and the horrible price they paid for their actions.
At times brilliant but still a flawed film
posted on 10 May 2009Alpha Dog is overall a good film and worth the money. The plot is full of interesting elements and it is acted with power. Justin Timberlake, Emile Hirsch and Anton Yelchin shine among a large group of talent. Anton Yelchin in particular portrays his character with the vulnerability and naivety required and creates a character that the audience can connect with. The fact that the film poster contains the words victim,suspect and witness hints that the film will not end on a happy note but despite this you can still identify with the characters. At times the swearing is over the top and every second word is f**k, it sounds fake and forced and is the main reasons why the film did not get a higher rating. The only source of laughter comes from seeing Sharon Stone in a fat suit. Alpha Dog would be worth renting or buying on DVD but be warned it is not the happiest of films.
realistic glimpse of the horrors of the drug culture
posted on 28 Apr 2009I'm writing this in response to simd109. i just got home from seeing the movie and i thought it was fantastic. as for the swearing, that's how a lot of people talk and i personally think that aspect added to the reality of the movie. i am pretty closely connected with that kind of culture and in real life people talk like that. if the audience thinks this is offensive, maybe it's because the word 'cunt' shouted at your mother is MEANT to be offensive. in terms of the 'watching people smoke' complaint, i don't even understand why that could be a complaint. the movie was about drug dealers, one of whom had a gigantic stand of pot plants in his yard. of course they're going to smoke. a lot of the movie took place in parties and social settings where people would be smoking in real life too. once again, i think that aspect only contributed to the REALITY of the story. it might be a little strange if you knew all the characters did drugs but you never saw even the quickest glimpse of any. about the unintentional humor, once again, sometimes even if something really bad is going on in your life, you might sneak a laugh here and there. i really liked the little bits of humor. overall i thought the movie was really good. all the characters were really well acted, especially the kid's brother who had a few scenes where he was massively tweaking out on speed. i was impressed by how realistic and startling it was. to me and probably a lot of people Alpha Dog hit really close to home because it was so true to life. it was the kind of story that i can imagine reading in the newspaper and saying, 'oh wow, i know those guys', or 'i was at that party'. i am in no way trying to compare the two, but alpha dog reminded me a little of requiem for a dream just because in the end of both movies you walk away with 'wow, seemingly benign situations can get REALLY out of hand sometimes'maybe stories like this wouldn't happen if drugs were legalized and governmentally regulated? i can't help but think.
It nearly came close but still good...
posted on 26 Apr 2009Alpha Dog is a movie directed by Nick cassaventes and the premise if The story is based around the true crime murder of 15-yr. Old Nick Markowitz and the desperate manhunt for Jesse James Hollywood that was actually seen on America's most wanted. Now I Know most people on here called this the worst movie of the year and Others would compare it to another true crime story turned movie Called, "Bully" by Larry Clarke but no matter what you think of it good Or bad opinions is opinions but here's my take on what I think of this Movie ready or not here I go.Like I said the story is based off the real life kidnapping that turned Into a murder within 2 days, "Alpha Dog" follows the story of Johnny Truelove (Emile Hirsch) a near 19 yr old drug dealer w/ his own home, a Person with a quick and violent temper, and was somewhat a possible Danger to people around him; kind of falls out of line with his once best Friend Ben Mazursky (Ben foster) over at least $1,200 that he owed from A drug deal/sell which ended with both of them at each other Throats...well a couple of tiffs here and there that leads Johnny, Frankie (Justin Timberlake), Elvis (Shawn Hatosy) to do something Desperate to get back at Ben. Meanwhile, 15-yr old Zack Mazursky (Anton Yelchin) was trying to experience life even though his mother (Sharon Stone) sheltered him in ways seem crazy and after a brief argument w/his father (David Thorton) over a late night outing with his brother Zach escaped out his window and into a world of real life going Terribly wrong.After reading the true crime events and seeing this movie; I felt this Movie overlaps in some areas but worked pretty well in others and Somewhat kept true to the actual events leading up to an end of a short Lived child; Emile's character was somewhat a bit over the top and one Would obviously try to not see him as that squeaky teen white kid from, "The girl next door" and in some ways he brought that element into this Role but made it darker and but lackluster but it still worked strange Enough. I have to admit Justin is a pretty good actor playing the Sympathetic but semi-cold Frankie he made the character his own and in a Ways made a good performance that can often make you wonder, "He should Of just took the boy away before these things happened" but you know the Outcome before it happens sadly. And Shawn's character of Elvis, the Boy trying badly to fit in had its moments but it fell short being Overtaken by Ben foster's character which was GREAT...a big turn around From being "Angel" from X-men, His character was crazy, and a fighter, But I felt he ran its course when it put the cause of his brother's Fate on the hands of a crazy person.Along with other stars like Bruce Willis as Johnny's father, the awe so Sexy Amanda Seyfried (I think so!) as Zach very short love interest, Sharon stone in a somewhat short but good role as the mother, and of Course Anton Yelchin in a role I felt really sorry for...not in a bad Way because he held his own and you want to just tell him to run or fight Or something but he had blind faith that his brother would save him, you knows its not going to happen that way. One can't Compare this movie to, "Bully" even though the outline sounds the same The impact is somewhat more dealing with this movie whereas in bully The guy wasn't sympathetic but more of a jackass which EVERYONE wanted To kill....after some gratuities sex scenes that comes out of left field not That this movie doesn't put that there either but it wasn't as Neither forthcoming nor as much as bully (not that I don't think!).I see it like this, with true crime movies like, "Boys don't cry" or "Bully" where teens out of pure desperation and stupidity commit acts That would make their consequences worse I say this movie did its job. Now was it the best movie of the year...ummm no, will it win any Academy awards...probably not! But for a movie that held its own Despite of what a person views it its still good but it could of came Close to being excellent but it shows a reality that not all endings Are going to be happy and we can't always expect the hero to go home Cause it doesn't always happen and this movie put that out there.
This movie was GREAT!
posted on 26 Apr 2009I honestly don't think I've ever seen a movie quite like this... I loved it! I even knew what was going to happen because of seeing it on UNSOLVED MYSTERIES, but I still laughed... cried... laughed some more. It's probably my favorite movie right now. Justin Timberlake is quite impressive... I didn't think he could pull off being an actor but I enjoyed his performance very much. Also, the other actors are good, the girls are kinda weird but not too bad. The plot is kind of random and askew... but that just makes it amazing. If you can follow it. The only part I didn't really like was the very beginning that is home video-esquire and it's just random compared to the rest of the movie.
Have you ever been laid, Stolen Boy?
posted on 18 Aug 2009The most telling moment of the film is when they were all together and making fun of the rappers with guns. You had no indication that guns were a big part of their lives, but they were there, just below the surface, and used when necessary.The movie moves on to a life of partying with the drug dealing below the surface until someone stepped over the line. Then things took a real twist when a crime of opportunity presented itself.You always hoped that things would turn out for the best. You were never really prepared for a dark conclusion. It just hit and hit hard.Justin Timberlake was outstanding and the person who really carried this movie. Anton Yelchin did a really great job as Zack. I certainly enjoyed Sharon Stone and was impressed with her part. Dominique Swain was great as Susan.My biggest complaint was the unrealistic lack of skin in situations that really called for it. It was obvious enough to be a distraction.