Alpha Dog

            This is a fairly accurate portrayal of the case of Jesse James Hollywood, a low level drug pusher who contracted the murder of a teenager in retribution to a client who did not pay him. It’s actually a very sad story, and while it takes several turns, and there are many different parts to the story, at it’s conclusion it is a very dark, sordid tale of selfishness and hatred, and deep-seeded panic.

            Emil Hirsch (Into the Wild, Speed Racer) plays the main role of Johnny Truelove, an avid high school baseball player and small time drug dealer. He is connected to many people throughout orange county that have grown up, and live off the wealth of their family, using it to smoke pot, hangout, get tattoos and party. The gang includes a number of people indebted to Johnny or to his Father, Sonny (Bruce Willis, Surrogates), and who do whatever Johnny tells them.

            One of the debtors is tweeker and felon, Ben Nagurski (Ben Foster, 3:10 to Yuma) who really dazzles in his insane tweeker rages. He’s also a kung fu master, and Nagurski have numerous altercations, both almost killing one another. The way the Truelove portrays himself is always harder to his crew, asserting more control. It’s pretty easy to see why the movie is titled so approrpriately.

            Eventually, Truelove and his lieutenant (Justin Timberlake, Black Snake Moan) take Nagurski’s half-brother hostage as a marker for the debt, not realizing the seriousness of their crime and the fact that they could be sentenced to life for kidnapping. The boy at first does not consider it to be kidnapping, and eventually gets thrown into the party crowd of hi captors, having a very enjoyable time.

            Truelove is not so happy to have him around, realizing that his testimony could land them all in jail forever, and contracts his murder, fleeing to Brazil to avoid persecution. It’s a really human story and it shows this picture of humans and their herd behavior, the way a tribe interacts, and really, it’s a level 1 tribe, the control and exertion of the alpha is primarily for escape or attack, and there is no goodness of life in them. It is a sad lonely tale, filled with very intense moments, wonderful acting, and a beautiful style that brings out the worst characteristics of the characters, in a beautifully hideous tapestry of fallenness. 2. Wow.