Hesher

Year: 2010

Grade: B+

Country: USA

Director: Susser

Review

great little film that reminded me most of mary poppins. now if you see the film, don’t see it because of that comparison. it’s not at all a mary poppins/disney type film. but the eponymous character is the type who comes into the lives of the other characters, changes everything, and then leaves as mysteriously as he arrived. it’s a heavy metal version of mary poppins for the new generation, without the musical interludes. it’s also yet another joseph gordon-levitt film that is up for film of the year. though it was first released in 2010 at a couple film festivals, it’s basically a 2011 film. in both 2009 and 2010 JGL was in my top film of the year. i guess i have to consider him one of my favorite actors at this point. he’s got great range (brick, 500 days of summer, inception and hesher) and he picks them as well as anyone else these days. his stuff is must-see material at this point.

hesher is a great film about love and loss and coming of age and bullying and depression, but it’s told in such a wonderfully disarming and human way that you can’t help but laugh and be moved as well. it seemed that most of the people in the theater didn’t quite know that they were allowed to laugh until 30 minutes in, but as soon as the hesher film title came up (after a sullen opening) and it’s “hesher” with the “h” and the “r” done like the lightning bolts in metallica’s logo and a quick burst of “battery” accompanies it…i knew this was going to be an interesting film. in those first few minutes susser shows us a depressing moment, gives a nod to e.t. (the film also takes place in the mid-late 80s), and then gives us a wink with the title card. brilliant stuff.

i don’t want to get too far into the film, but it has some great symbolism and parables that make it even better than just an immensely entertaining film. watch it. good trailer.

Watched in theater