Alpha Dog (2006)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Nick Cassavetes

Writer (WGA):

Nick Cassavetes (written by)

Release Date:

12 January 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

Inspired by true events.

Plot:

A drama based on the life of Jesse James Hollywood, a drug dealer who became one of the youngest men ever to be on the FBI's most wanted list.

Plot Keywords:

Drug Dealer | Drugs | Gang | Party | California

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Bruce Willis	...	Sonny Truelove
Matthew Barry	...	Interviewer (as Matt Barry)
Emile Hirsch	...	Johnny Truelove
Fernando Vargas	...	Tiko 'TKO' Martinez
Vincent Kartheiser	...	Pick Giaimo
Justin Timberlake	...	Frankie Ballenbacher
Shawn Hatosy	...	Elvis Schmidt
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
Ben Foster	...	Jake Mazursky

Also Known As:

Jesse James Hollywood (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for pervasive drug use and language, strong violence, sexuality and nudity.

Runtime:

USA:122 min | USA:117 min (Sundance Film Festival) | Germany:118 min | Argentina:122 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | SDDS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

UK:15 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba) | USA:R (certificate #42022) | Ireland:18 | Italy:T | Germany:16 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | Singapore:R21 (cut) | France:-12 | Finland:K-15 | Netherlands:16 | Portugal:M/16 | Argentina:18 | Malaysia:(Banned) | South Korea:18 | Peru:18 | New Zealand:R16 | Brazil:16 | Norway:15 (DVD rating) | Chile:18 | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Acton, California, USA

Company:

Sidney Kimmel Entertainment

Trivia:

To prepare for his role in this movie, actor Ben Foster asked one of his friends who was an ex-crystal meth addict for guidance. The friend introduced him to a group of people who gave Foster an all-access pass into the lifestyle.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Jake is dunking Truelove's head into the pool, Truelove's dog runs out and starts tugging on Jake's right leg. In the next shot when Jake is being pulled off of Truelove and away from the pool his right leg is now coming out of the pool as he is being dragged away.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Sonny Truelove: You wanna know what this is all about? You can say it's about drugs or guns or disaffected youth, or whatever you like. But this whole thing is about parenting. It's about taking care of your children. You take care of yours, I take care of mine.

Movie Connections:

References Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)

Soundtrack:

Wild Is the Wind

Good cast, good story ... good movie!

I 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.