Alpha Dog

Nick Cassavetes' drama is inspired by the real-life story of drug dealer and suspected murderer Jesse James Hollywood, the fugitive who became the youngest person placed on the FBI's Most Wanted list after the senseless murder of an innocent teenager over a debt owed by the kid's drug-addict brother. But Cassavetes is less interested in the story of the fugitive (played with petty arrogance by Emile Hirsch) than in his culture of alienated, white, middle-class kids who indiscriminately appropriate the language and attitude of gangsta culture. Cassavetes has a real feel for the social dynamics at work in this dysfunctional circle of friends and hangers-on, from the posturing and verbal pissing contests to the escalation of unchecked rage and violence. Yet despite the credibility of performances by Justin Timberlake, Anton Yelchin and Shawn Hatosy, it all feels like recycled social commentary. Bruce Willis and Sharon Stone also make brief appearances. The disc features an interactive "witness timeline" with background information in real time and a making-of featurette. Also available on HD DVD.