Review of Hesher (2010) by Haven W — 02 Aug 2018

Strengths: I've made it clear that Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Hesher) is my favorite actor. Again, he delivers a performance that steals the show. Though he's the title character, he's not the protagonist, but you can't look away from him when he's on screen. He works very well with the role despite not having a great look. The acting all-around is typically what works about this movie. Natalie Portman (Nicole) is endearing, Rainn Wilson (Paul Forney) makes you feel for him, and Devin Brochu (TJ Forney) is also strong and given the most to work with. The soundtrack is also quite fitting.

Weaknesses: Outside of the acting, not a lot works. Hesher's look is terrible. The hair, scrawny body, and tattoos are looked off. Not in the "strange squatter" way, but in the cheap makeup kind of way. The story doesn't grab you in any intriguing way. The idea that this odd person can help the lives of this family dealing with the loss of the mother is a good one, but most of what happens it flat out uninteresting. When you gaze at the film with the idea that Hesher might be a figment of TJ's imagination, it gets more appealing, but that doesn't line up with much of what happens throughout.

Overall: I wanted to like this more. Considering the strong performances of the cast and the concept behind it all, it should've delivered better. Instead, the plot unfolds in a manner that might put you to sleep.