Hesher

Hesher is a 2010 American dark comedy-drama film directed by Spencer Susser and co-written with David Michôd, featuring a star-studded cast that includes Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Devin Brochu, and Natalie Portman. The movie, which draws upon elements of both humor and pathos, manages to blend despair and hope in a narrative centered around an unconventional anti-hero. It's a story that understands the universality of loss, grief, and the public indifferences faced by those suffering from it, while simultaneously finding stinging humor in the most unlikely situations.

The story revolves around a young boy named T.J (Devin Brochu), a 13-year-old who has recently lost his mother in a car crash, and whose depressed father (Rainn Wilson), has moved them into his mother's house. T.J is simultaneously battling with grief, loneliness, confusion, and the inability to process the sudden tragedy that derails his once ordinary life. One day, under the most peculiar circumstances, T.J crosses paths with an enigmatic and explosive long-haired stranger named Hesher (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), who personifies a state of heedless, anarchic existence with his wild behavior and devil-may-care attitude.

Hesher, with his erratic persona and nihilistic outlook, forms an unusual bond with T.J, and in the most bizarre way, he invades and somewhat reshuffles the lives of not just T.J and his father, but that of a well-meaning supermarket worker, Nicole (Natalie Portman) who T.J develops a crush on. Hesher's lifestyle and actions, offensive as they may be to societal norms and general behavior, somehow serve as a catalyst, triggering new dynamics between characters, and eliciting suppressed emotion, often distorted through sardonic wit.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, known for his versatility, gives a riveting performance as Hesher. His portrayal of a brazenly amoral, spontaneous, and tattoo-covered character is both daunting and fascinating. His antics, though often horrifying and insulting, provoke a strange sense of catharsis, making the film an intriguing watch.

Devin Brochu, as the young and lost T.J, delivers a heart-wrenching performance. His portrayal of a child suffering from deep-seated grief and battling everyday mundanity displays an emotional depth that leaves audiences moved. Natalie Portman's character Nicole, stuck in her own rut of problems, brings a different kind of despair to the mix, adding another layer to the movie’s exploration of grief and coping mechanisms.

Rainn Wilson's depiction of T.J's father is poignant. Unable to cope with his wife's loss and the responsibility of a grieving son, he is almost a shadow of a man, demonstrating the difficulty of carrying on after a life-changing tragedy.

The film does a remarkable job of maintaining its dark comedic tone, obscuring the boundary between tragedy and comedy. The chaotic, unpredictable behavior of Hesher serves as an unconventional form of comic relief, which manifests in the dreary backdrop of the film.

Hesher is a unique exploration of grief, loss, and how people cope with sorrow. It views despair from a different perspective, allowing its characters to express, explode, and even laugh in the face of their suffering. It dissects diverse responses to grief, from withdrawal to uncontainable rage, suggesting that there are no rules when it comes to dealing with loss.

It's also a film that examines the effects of unexpected friendships and bonds. As Hesher – a barely-invited guest becomes interestingly intertwined in T.J's family, there's an exploration of how people can drift into our lives in the most unexpected ways and influence us. Also, it's about acceptance - how we come to terms with not just the people crossing our paths but also the unbearable tribulations life often throws at us.

Hesher, while seemingly bleak and nihilistic in essence, cleverly incorporates dark humor, depth, and raw emotion to look at grief from various angles. It's a work of cinema that dares to combine the levity of absurd humor with the gravity of immense personal loss – a bold endeavor that makes Hesher a film worth watching.