Director Spencer Susser says the title character of "Hesher" can be seen as a heavy-metal Mary Poppins. He has a point, but only if you think of Miss Poppins as a potty-mouthed, pot-smoking pyromaniac.
Like Poppins, Hesher, played by an almost unrecognizable Joseph Gordon-Levitt, takes up residence with a family, but these relatives have big problems. The father, Paul (Rainn Wilson), barely functions after the death of his wife. The 13-year-old son, TJ (Devin Brochu), is outwardly numb over the death and deeply troubled. And the grandmother (Piper Laurie) putters around the house, cooking and offering comfort.
Hesher first meets TJ when the boy decides to take out some of his rage by throwing a rock through the window of a new house in a deserted development. Hesher happens to be squatting in the house and is furious that TJ has disrupted his quiet and done something that will attract police attention of the cops.
Sure enough, the cops show up, and Hesher grabs TJ and takes off in his truck. He then does something unpredictable. He takes up residence in TJ's garage — an unannounced, uninvited guest who raids the refrigerator and joins family meals.
The father is so dysfunctional that he can't muster the energy to kick Hesher out. TJ makes a half-hearted effort to resist. But the grandmother seems happy to have someone around who will compliment her cooking.
As you might expect, the main character begins to evolve. He becomes romantically involved with a cashier (Natalie Portman) who has befriended TJ. And he starts to appreciate the grandmother's hospitality.
Much of this wouldn't work well if it weren't for Gordon-Levitt, who plays Hesher to the hilt. He shows just enough pain in his face to reveal a deeply hurtful past, puncturing all the bravado. And his actions follow a moral code, even if that code is outside the norm.
"Hesher," however, isn't a perfect little movie. It wraps up all the emotions a bit too neatly. And one of the last scenes, which is intended to be emotionally profound, borders on being treacly.
Still, Gordon-Levitt makes "Hesher" believable. It's one of his best performances, showing a range well beyond his roles in "(500) Days of Summer" and "Inception."
"Hesher"
Grade: 4 out of 5 stars
Genres: Drama
Running Time: 100 min
MPAA rating: R
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