Thursday, September 08, 2011

Alpha Dog

Alpha DogI’ll admit that the otherworldly hotness of a heavily tattooed Justin Timberlake is what drew me to this movie, but I’m glad to report that it is quite enjoyable and at times gripping.

Synopsis: inspired by true events, Alpha Dog tells the story of the face-off between two small time drug dealers and the unlucky half-brother of one of them, who ends up paying the price for their antics.

Timberlake’s acting skills (recently appreciated in The Social Network) are noticeable and Emile Hirsch (admirable in Milk and excellent in Into the Wild) proves once again to have a lot of talent.  Bruce Willis, Harry Dean Stanton, and Sharon Stone all do a good job (although Stone is a little too theatrical).  But the one who really chews the scenery whenever he’s on screen is the awesome Ben Foster.

While one can easily see how the whole story is going to ultimately tragically play out, a fair script and the good overall acting keep you engaged.

The Bottom Line: I usually like movies inspired by or based on true events, and this was no different.  The story is tragic and sad, but that makes the movie even more worth watching.

Grade: 7

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