Alpha Dog...in the doghouse

Alpha Dog is set in Los Angeles, the playground of a spoiled 19 year old hooligan named Johnny Truelove, played by Emile Hirsch. He is a young prominent drug dealer/loan shark, with the support & protection of his father, played by Bruce Willis. Johnny becomes overzealous when one of his clients, Jake, played by Ben Foster, is unable to pay his debts. As a result, he & his entourage, most notable, Justin Timberlake, impulsively kidnap Jake's 15 year old little brother, in a effort to pressure him to pay up. Things quickly unravel in the worst way. Somewhat interesting is that this docu-drama is loosely based on true events surrounding James Hollywood, who is currently awaiting trial; in addition, performances by Timberlake and Foster are an unexpected treat, yet not enough to carry the film. Alpha Dog gets a resounding NO GO; it is painfully overacted, the cast chemistry is far from compelling, and it simply has to many preposterous moments.
(122 minutes, R)