Hesher thrusts you into a world of sadness
a grieving family, an emotion drained father, a lost & lonely son, and a dying grandmother doing everything she can to help her family stay afloat. First time writer/director Spencer Susser shows how comedy can be found in the most unlikely places, and takes several unexpected chances with his daring script.
With a premise as dark as this you wouldn't expect Hesherto be funny, but that's exactly what it is. Levitt (500 Days of Summer, Inception) is hilarious as the title character, a man who wouldn't know tact if it poured gasoline over his rust box van and set it on fire. (Hesher has an affinity for setting things on fire)Hesher pulls no punches, and finds insane laughs in the darkest of spaces. And although the film is not a straight forward comedy I would rank it as one of the funniest of the year.
The 2nd half of the film slows a bit when it actually has to face up and deal with the family issues it has laid out, but strong writing by Susser and acting by the young phenom Devin Brochu and superbly sad Rainn Wilson (playing the exact opposite of his cocky & confident Dwight Schrute character from The Office) keep it on track. Natalie (Not as great as Black Swan, but not as bad as Thor) Portman finds a way to ring true as a woman with suicidal thoughts while barely making ends meet as a grocery store cashier. She becomes the young boy's unlikely new friend after she saves him from a butt kicking from a school bully in her store's parking lot. Portman also deserves props for serving as a producer on the film and helping to get it made.
Hesher is a wild bizarre ride that is best pulled off as a low budget dark comedy indie. The film slipped away a bit from pure greatness by laying on the sentimental a bit too hard near the end, but still completed a satisfying result. Hesher is crude, rude, dark and nasty which is exactly what makes it so good.
For more quick reviews check out www.FilmStallion.com
With a premise as dark as this you wouldn't expect Hesherto be funny, but that's exactly what it is. Levitt (500 Days of Summer, Inception) is hilarious as the title character, a man who wouldn't know tact if it poured gasoline over his rust box van and set it on fire. (Hesher has an affinity for setting things on fire)Hesher pulls no punches, and finds insane laughs in the darkest of spaces. And although the film is not a straight forward comedy I would rank it as one of the funniest of the year.
The 2nd half of the film slows a bit when it actually has to face up and deal with the family issues it has laid out, but strong writing by Susser and acting by the young phenom Devin Brochu and superbly sad Rainn Wilson (playing the exact opposite of his cocky & confident Dwight Schrute character from The Office) keep it on track. Natalie (Not as great as Black Swan, but not as bad as Thor) Portman finds a way to ring true as a woman with suicidal thoughts while barely making ends meet as a grocery store cashier. She becomes the young boy's unlikely new friend after she saves him from a butt kicking from a school bully in her store's parking lot. Portman also deserves props for serving as a producer on the film and helping to get it made.
Hesher is a wild bizarre ride that is best pulled off as a low budget dark comedy indie. The film slipped away a bit from pure greatness by laying on the sentimental a bit too hard near the end, but still completed a satisfying result. Hesher is crude, rude, dark and nasty which is exactly what makes it so good.
For more quick reviews check out www.FilmStallion.com