Alpha Dog

Tita and I saw Alpha Dog at the Grove last night. If you are familiar with the case of Jesse James Hollywood and Nicholas Markowitz, then you already know the story. Given that the movie was based on actual events, it was painful to watch Anton Zelchin's acting as the kidnapped Zack when he realizes he won't be going home, and equally uncomfortable seeing Sharon Stone as a broken-hearted mother driven insane by her son's murder.

I actually thought the movie was well-made and well-acted; however, it was hard to separate out the sensation of enjoying the movie for its own sake with the realization that the story was mostly true. That said, I think Justin Timberlake proved he can act - he was really good, and only partly because he was shirtless so much. Other standouts from the cast included Anton Zelchin (Zack Mazursky) and Ben Foster (Jake Mazursky); Sharon Stone also did a decent job as Zack's mother, but I thought Bruce Willis and Harry Dean Stanton were terrible as father and grandfather to murderous drug-dealer Johnny Truelove.

My rating:


You might like this if you liked:
Better Luck Tomorrow, 8 Mile, To Die For, Heavenly Creatures