Yes, that is a tattooed Justin Timberlake and this clip is from his new film Alpha Dog. Timberlake stars along side Emile Hirsch, Ben Foster, Bruce Willis, Sharon Stone, and the up and coming Anton Yelchin. Alpha Dog is directed by Nick Cassavetes of John Q and Notebook fame. The film closed last year’s Sundance film festival and has been getting mixed reviews every since. The only thing that all of the critics seem to agree upon is that Timberlake (to the surprise of many) is stellar in this roll as a thugged-out rich kid from San Fernando Valley.

The movie is based off of the true story of Jesse James Hollywood, the youngest man to ever make the FBI’s 10 most wanted list. In the film Emile Hirsch plays the part of Hollywood under the equally iconic name Johnny Truelove. The Film is based in 1999. Johnny and his gang of disaffected cronies smoke weed, party, play with guns and call each other and their girl friends bitch, emulating the gangsta rap videos of their day.

Director Nick Cassavetes seems to have gotten in touch with both his inner Larry Clark and Woody Allen. The similarities to Larry Clark (director of Kids and Wassup Rockers) will be noticed by almost anyone who sees the film and have already been noted by many critics. This is on one level quite simply a teen exploitation film. However, I have read of no one else comparing this to a Woody Allen film. And I am surprised. A movie with Jewish characters, where someone gets away with murder (almost) and the existence of God is put into question. Does it sound like we are invoking Allen now?

At the onset of the film Bruce Willis’ Character stares out from under his bad toupee straight into the camera and tells us: “You wanna’ know what this is all about? You can say this about drugs or guns or bad decisions, what ever you like. But this whole thing is about parenting. And taking care of your children.” And indeed the movie indicts parents of spoiled rich kids who either support or turn a blind eye to the behavior of their delinquent teenagers. This intent to make a social statement about poor parenting has been confirmed in several interviews by both the cast and the director.

However, the film also puts another “parent” on trial. Sharon Stone plays Olivia Mazursky, mother of the young man who is killed over twelve hundred dollars. Near the end of the film, a wild eyed nearly insane Olivia Says, “They say there’s a reason for everything. [If] God’s got a purpose for me, He better get the fuck down here and tell me what it is, ’cause I don’t see it.”

Alpha Dog is dark and brooding and probably not for all viewers. However if you have ever been a fan of “gangster” movies (of the Boyz n the Hood type not Scarface) or if you are a fan of the type of big questions posed by some Woody Allen films, you may like Alpha Dog. It is a good look at the arrogance (as well as the pain and insecurity) of youth and the senseless violence of human beings. It asks a question about the existence of God in the face of horrendous and senseless evil and director Nick Cassavetes does leave it up to the viewer to decide. So did Woody Allen in Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989). Unfortunately by the time Allen made Match Point (2005) he no longer seemed open to the possibility of a benevolent and all powerful God.

Peace,
Wayne