This film is based on the true story of Jesse James Hollywood - only here he is called Johnny Truelove - who I understand any minute is about to stand trial in America. Until Hollywood's capture he had been one of the FBI's youngest most wanted men.
In the opening scene Sonny Truelove (Bruce Willis) is being interviewed and tells the camera that he doesn't know the whereabouts of his son Johnny (Emile Hirsch). We then travel back five years on the first day of three, and mid-level drug dealer Johnny is the alpha dog of his pack of bored wealthy hooligan chums. He is owed drug money from Jake (Ben Foster), who isn't about to pay and turns very nasty. So Johnny decides to show him who is the alpha dog and get his money back, by kidnapping Jake's younger brother Zack (Anton Yelchin) for ransom.
Ironically Zack after the initial shock has a great time, and really warms to Johnny's gang, in particular Frankie (Justin Timberlake), who has been appointed his babysitter. Zack in also delighted to get away from his smothering mother (Sharon Stone), ineffectual father (David Thornton), and their suppressed middle class existence.
This is a ghastly story about truly loathsome people young and old. What is excellent is the tension at the end; you can't believe what you are seeing. There is a raw terrifying innocence about the story that does hit hard. However it is difficult to believe that the youngsters would have come to their final conclusion. In the film they are not under the influence of drugs when it comes to its pointless and tragic end. Would they really be that foolish when there seems to me a very obvious way out? The answer is sadly yes, as Jesse James Hollywood, who was captured in Brazil in 2005, awaits his fate and his gang of followers have already been sentenced.
Whether Hollywood's gang were drug crazed at the time I don't know. Timberlake is the real surprise here, he is very good indeed and the only character that is really believable. He gives Frankie just the right layback seduction charm that would be very popular with his peers, but then he finds himself way out of his depth, too weak and stupid to actually do anything about it. Sadly, though we are told what happens is the result of poor parenting, director Nick Cassavetes fails to successfully play that card.
He seems much more interested in showing the youngsters appalling behaviour, than going for a deeper sociological approach. This makes what could have been an interesting piece just a glorified verbal onslaught of profanities and violence, which has frankly well passed is cinematic sell by date. I really hated this film, but now I know a little bit more about the real Jesse James Hollywood - who was named after an uncle not the notorious outlaw, and Hollywood is his real name - I still hate it, but I fervently wish Cassavetes had explored the story's whys and wherefores, not just the glorification of the behaviour of spoilt neglected children who turn into horrendous young adults. 3/10
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