With a kidnap and murder under his belt at the age of 20, Californian drug pusher Jesse James Hollywood was one of the youngest members of the FBI’s Most Wanted list back in 1999.

The events leading to his flight from justice are remoulded in this wayward but smartly acted drama from writer-director (The Notebook) and occasional actor (Face/Off) Nick Cassavetes, son of indie film groundbreaker John.

Emile Hirsch (The Girl Next Door) plays ‘Hollywood’ clone Johnny Truelove, a wannabe suburban Scarface who only stops partying to orchestrate the odd dope deal with his Mob-connected father (Willis).

All ripped abs, tattoos and scrubby facial hair, Johnny and his crew are pin-ups for the wealthy white-trash community who aim most of their foul-mouthed machismo at Johnny’s whipping boy Elvis (Hatosy).

Then along comes deranged neo-Nazi Jake (Foster, X-Men: The Last Stand) to spoil the fun. He owes them money but can’t pay up because his stepmother (Stone) won’t let his father lend him the cash.

The dispute escalates. Johnny ensures that Jake loses his job; Jake defecates on Johnny’s carpet.

Then, acting on impulse, Johnny snatches Jake’s 15-year-old half-brother Zack (Yelchin) from the street. The kid’s to be held as collateral, but with no harm intended.

Chaperoned by Johnny’s right-hand man Frankie (Timberlake), Zack is soon having the time of his life – boozing, smoking and enjoying threesomes in the pool. But his prospects take a downturn when Johnny’s boys discover that kidnap carries a life sentence.

First the bad news: Alpha Dog is unfocussed, self-conscious and prone to lapses of hysteria - Cassavetes Jr has some way to go to reach his dad’s standards.

However, he and his cast certainly capture the zeitgeist of a youth who can only handle peer pressure and disillusionment with drink, drugs and borderline sociopathy.

Foster is excellent, making Jake a volatile distillation of Sean Penn in Carlito’s Way and Spud from Trainspotting. Pity he inexplicably disappears for the final reel.

Willis and Harry Dean Stanton (as his drunken mentor) leave the limelight to the youngsters but Stone’s later appearance in a fat suit and Hirsch’s uncanny resemblance to Jack Black give pause for incongruous thoughts of Shallow Hal.

Is Timberlake’s inclusion justified? Absolutely. He’s a natural, adding emotional weight to his role with every scene, culminating in a moment of genuine tragedy under the stars.

Almost cried me a river.

Elliott Noble