Upon first glance at the Blu-ray cover for the film Hesher, what seems to stand out the most, aside from the impressive cast listing and the movie’s title being in a Metallica-esque font, is the one word quote, “Hilarious!” That one word, though not entirely incorrect, does this film quite the disservice.
“Hilarious” merely reflects one of the many aspects of the film, all of which could be referenced in one word reflections; “hilarious,” “painful,” “heart-breaking” and, of course, “metal.” The one word that I think should be there on the film’s front cover in order to best reflect the film found inside that Blu-ray case is, well, “excellent.”
Hesher, despite first impressions, is actually about a troubled young teen named T.J. (portrayed incredibly by Devin Brochu) who’s just lost his mother in a car accident. T.J.’s father, Paul (Rainn Wilson), has lost himself completely in the grief of his wife’s passing and has totally shut down and turned to pills to numb his pain. The pair has moved in with T.J.’s Grandmother (Piper Laurie), who has her own personal ailments to worry about, but has now taken on the task of caring for the two, even though everyone involved couldn’t seem more alone if they tried.
One day all of T.J.’s pain comes to a boiling point and he begins destroying a seemingly abandoned house, only to discover it is inhabited by a sickly, ratty looking fellow named Hesher (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). After the pair is run off from the abandoned home by a security guard, Hesher immediately moves himself into T.J.’s family’s garage. T.J.’s father is such a wreck that he barely even notices that Hesher is living there and his grandmother even seems to take a liking to him.
Gordon-Levitt’s portrayal of Hesher is truly sublime. Covered in absurd tattoos and fueled by a seeming desire to destroy literally everything around him, Hesher is borderline repulsive. As many might pre-conceive, he is far from the troubled youth with a heart of gold. He at times refuses to help T.J. when he’s in need and, in most instances, is the reason that trouble is following T.J. in the first place. Even the slightest hint of a good deed is followed by something vastly more depraved. Hesher has literally no redeeming qualities, but there’s something magnetic about the character and the performance that make every moment he’s on-screen not only exciting, but also, in all honesty, a relief.
On the complete opposite side of the fun of watching Hesher destroying everything in his path, there is a film that is achingly real and painful. The character of T.J. goes through an unrelenting cycle of physical and emotional pain, and Brochu nails every single beat. Every outburst of anger, worry and sadness feels genuine and necessary.
Wilson’s portrayal of Paul, while small in regards to screen time, is equally powerful. His mussed hair, overgrown beard and penchant for only wearing sweatpants provides the visual of a man feeling utterly lost, but its Wilson’s subtlety with his emotions that really bring home this character and prove that he’s got much more to offer than the beloved Dwight Schrute character he’s known for.
Even with all the praise I could lavish this film with, it’s not without its problems. The initial introduction of Hesher, complete with Heavy Metal riffs thrown in after vocal cues, almost comes off as cool but in retrospect is a bit hokey and definitely doesn’t gel with the rest of the film.
The one thing that I think will turn people off the most, and I mentioned it a bit above, is how brutal of a downer Hesher is. I personally love sad movies. I love and appreciate the journeys they provide just as much as happy films, maybe even more so.
Hesher, however, is a definite challenge in that regard. Nearly every character is a victim to their loneliness and lack of self-worth that comes very close to unbearable. Just when you think things can’t get any bleaker, they do. Even when Hesher pops up to offer some relief, you know that his character is solely focused on his own agenda, and helping anyone else is the farthest thing from his mind.
And this is what I applaud the film for the most. Hesher is never the hero. He ends the movie just as repulsive and polarizing as he began it. What seems like a warming up to the family is merely him still being the destructively carefree person he’s been the entire film.
What does happen is that somehow amidst his muck and mire, T.J. and Paul are somehow able to see their shortcomings and are left to decide what to make of what they have left, rather than continuing to dwell on what has been taken from them.
Hesher is Director Spencer Susser’s first attempt at a feature length film and it’s quite an astounding effort for a first-time filmmaker. Susser has an excellent eye for framing a scene and how to get the most out of his actors and dialogue. Unlike many other independent filmmakers, Susser displays a sense of movement and pacing rather than just planting a camera still and hitting record. I anxiously await what he next has in store.
High-Def Presentation
Lionsgate has brought Hesher to Blu-ray with a 1080p AVC encode, and despite its low budget leanings, is actually a surprisingly detailed transfer. There is excellent detail throughout, from hair to clothing to the rust and wear on Hesher’s van. The scenes involving Hesher setting things on fire show off how good the transfer truly is. There are some definite moments of softness and some of the nighttime scenes get a little muddled in their darkness, but other than that it’s far better than I was expecting and left me genuinely impressed.
Boasting a 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio mix, this film is an audiophile’s dream. Hesher loves his metal fast and loud, and that’s exactly how the viewer receives it. As the music shines, so does the overall mix. Ambient noise fills all the speakers in outside scenes adding a real sense of atmosphere and truly takes advantage of the track. The same goes for dialogue, even in instances where its only spoke in whispers, comes across clear and true.
Beyond The Feature
Hesher comes to the HD format with a fair bit of extras, most, to my immediate pleasure, are presented in HD. The one big omission for me is no commentary track. Being Susser’s first film and with such amazing performances from the entire cast, I would have genuinely loved to hear anything and everything anyone had to say about the film. Sadly, there’s no commentary to be found.
Deleted Scenes (7 min, HD) – This feature contains a few deleted and a couple extended scenes from the film. Far from throwaway scenes, it would seem that pacing issues would be the major reasons behind the cuts. It’s nothing exceptional, but worth a look.
Outtakes (28 min, HD) – This might genuinely be the longest outtakes reel I’ve ever seen. Only listed as one lump sum on the menus, it’s actually broken up into 6 chapters that each tend to focus on a particular actor or situation. 28 minutes seems like overkill, but I was genuinely compelled to watch just about every bit of footage here. It’s got your normal flubs and goofs, and quite a good bit of adlibbing from Rainn Wilson.
Behind The Scenes (7 min, HD) – This is a fairly decent, yet all too brief behind the scenes look at the film. It’s got standard interviews with the cast and crew, and some insight into the film itself. This far from makes up for a lack of a commentary track, but at least it’s something.
Air Traffic (2 min, HD) – This is sort of another outtake real, consisting completely of one day of shooting and the unbelievable amount of times filming was interrupted by passing planes. Not so much funny as it is a look into the trials of shooting on location and being a victim of the elements around.
Teaser Channels (24 sec, HD) -This seems like some sort of internet promotion for the film. A TV flips through multiple channels before landing on the movie title. Pure fluff.
Hesher Sketch Gallery – This is a look at some rough sketches of the numerous tattoos on Hesher as well as some of the art that populates the end credits.
As much as I personally loved Hesher, I can assuredly attest that it’s not for everyone. From the never-ending heartache running through the family to the absolutely polarizing character that is Hesher, the film is a lot to take in and definitely only for those that can handle the pain and the profane.
Even with all of that in mind, I can’t help but think that everyone would find something to like within the amazing performances by the entire cast, as well as the strong sense of direction from Susser. It’s a film that truly struck a chord with me, as well as a film I can’t wait to revisit.
– Matt Hardeman
Shop for Hesher on Blu-ray for a discounted price at Amazon.com (September 13, 2011 release date).
