ALPHA DOG *

Nick Cassavetes both wrote and directed this fictionalized account of how Jesse James Hollywood, a L.A. drug dealer, became one of the youngest criminals (at age 20) to appear on the FBI's most wanted list. Hollywood is currently awaiting trial for his part in the 2000 kidnap and murder of one of his client's brother.

The film takes place over a three day period between the kidnapping and the murder. You're introduced to the various members involved in the crime and get a good sense of their purposeless lives and actions. While all the actors are good, the standouts are Ben Foster and Justin Timberlake. Bruce Willis and Sharon Stone bring some starpower to the proceedings although neither have much screen time.

The film is well written and directed but it's hard for me to give this a good rating. There's no one in this movie you can admire. None of the characters appear intelligent and their lifestyle is absolutely reprehensible. Any parent who had children like this would, or should, consider themselves a parenting failure. The language is mostly repetitive profanity and there's a fair amount of sexual activity. I'm sure the intent was to expose the viewer to the lifestyle of a group of amoral teens, and it does that well. But, unless you enjoy paying money for something most will find repulsive, I'd advise skipping this one.