Alpha Dog (15)

First of all I have to say I liked this movie, but what is so disturbing, and ultimately totally wrong is that it is the Hollywood version of a tragedy, and what is even more disturbing is that it's audience is the same impressionable, misguided, teens it portrays. The true story is dramatic enough it didn't need to be glamorized. The lifestyle of the kids, the depiction of the parties, are given the music video treatment, beautiful babes getting topless in seconds. The real home movies and photo's show that although Jesse James was the coolest kid on the block his parties weren't quite at this rap star level. There was also no need for some of the 'performances' like the Ben Foster there was no need to create a sensationalised character that can fight 5 guys at a time. And because of all this the film is ultimately too simplistic, “it's the fault of the parent's�. As the reviewer noted Larry Clarkes Bully, handles a similar story with much more integrity, and is ultimately more interesting.

Good movie a bit sadly this is a real history but the bad guy always lost, Actor's great work and a real good selection.

Did director Nick Cassavetes, who , by the way, hasn't got one hundreth of his father's talent, try to make fun of any viewer with some brains? After watching this obnoxious and nauseating oiece of shit, I really tend to think: yes. If we examine this Z-graded flick carefully, there is no doubt that his goal was purely exploitative, trying to arouse sympathy for a bunch of completely degenerated scumbags, and attract young audiences in order to put some money in his pockets: first of all, the fact that during the movie, he provides some details of various witnesses who saw one element of what happened at a given time only serves as a mere excuse to try to look 'objective', as if he were to provide some account of what happened or to try to explain it. But any attempt in this direction stops at this point. All the rest is a disgusting and clearly complacent display of the behaviour of completely degenerated characters who think they are like the kings of the world and the very essence of virility. But they are not: on the contrary,they are fundamentally just a bunch of coward sissies, who, after having kidnapped an innocent young man, are unable to cope with the fact that they will be charged with kidnapping, and so decide in cold blood to kill him. Because, of course, it takes some balls to face real men like bank robbers in jail and get beaten by them, and these balls they never had: it was much easier to kill a defenceless 18-year old boy, hoping you will not get discovered. As for the aspect that the victim had 'the time of his life' during his captivity, I clearly doubt it. This is another way of excusing the actions of these coward jerks, even to glamourize them. To sum up, this is a clearly exploitative and totally nonobjective way of telling a story, which definitely goes in the wrong direction, that of making the viewer sympathize, not with the victim but the kidnappers. But, very hopefully, they got caught and the only thing that fills me up with joy is the hope that other inmates in jail will beat the hell out of them!!! P.S. Moreover, Justin Trousersnake, as one of the Tiemout reviewers named him in another review, is pathetic:

I thought this movie was amazing. I'd recommend anyone to see this movie. i thougfht the acting was fantastic, the emotion shown from Anton was superb and believable, it actually made me upset watching the plot unfold. a gripping movie and a must see. I didnt know the case before i watched the movie so from that point of view the story with out the background knowledge left the ending a shocker. however if you already know the ending i can imagine the film being tedious. keep and open mind TIMEOUT!!!!!