A young boy has lost his mother and is losing touch with his father and the world around him. Then he meets Hesher who manages to make his life even more chaotic.
Directed: Spencer Susser
Stars: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Devin Brochu and Natalie Portman
What we think: This is an Inde film that is as out there as any other, Hesher (Gordon-Levitt) is a drifting saviour, a Jesus like persona with a mouth and mind as dirty as the van he drives in.
As if sent to assist the lives of T.J. (Brochu) and Paul (Wilson) who are only at the embryo stage of the grieving process after losing their mother/wife in a car accident, he is hardly the most welcomed addition to the family.
Living with their Grandma, T.J. battles the school bully on a daily basis while keeping his affections firmly on check out girl Nicole (Portman). While Paul lies around on the couch all day staring into the abyss of day time T.V.
The film is emotional from every angle, T.J. longs to have back the car involved in the fatal crash, as if to keep the light burning for his mother. He’s a reclusive character whose relationship with his father is quickly diminishing.
Hesher is almost like a breath of fresh air to the family, getting along famously with the Grandmother who he connects with on many occasions, even helping to administer some herbal medicine.
The acting is very good and Portman who has production duties on the film gives another solid performance, even if by her standards she is merely supporting.
The centre stage though belongs to Hesher, an enigma wrapped up in long hair and some bizzare tattoos. He doesn’t have a bedside manner, and his life lessons and advice are brutally honest.
There are some humorous moments in it, and the underlying message is that despite death life moves on, even if it is in the most unusual of circumstances.
View the trailer
Potential Rating:
(4/5)
Visit the IMDb page for Hesher
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