herostratus-690-719695 The essence of this movie: do not live in the past but rather in the future - forget about your losses and be happy about what you still have. Unfortunately, this is the only "deeper" meaning that this movie does offer, and it needs almost two hours of the viewer's precious lifetime to display it. What a loss. I watched it in the car while driving from S.F. to L.A., but still it was a waste of time - I should have watched the landscape instead, passing by the window. Maybe because of the meager, stingy screenplay the producers hired some well-known actors to compensate for the loss? Maybe because many ordinary people don't like metal-maniacs like "The Hesher" (or should I say "The Thrasher"?) this movie depicts some average heavy-metal-moron as the wise-guy. Not that I personally have got anything against metal music or it's fans, but this movie seemed to me as some sort of counter-propaganda - which makes it even worse because of it's diapositive discrimination: if it is important to brush up the image of the metal-music-guy by displaying a long-haired metal-berserk who looks like Jesus having fun destroying other people's property, then what picture of such people do we have in mind – and does this movie change it? But what definitely makes this whole stupid concoction the sorry and pathetic effort it just is are it's lousy "dialogues" (which in truth are usually monologues): not only that there is a total absence of wit in all the babble that is puffed out here, no, it is most of the time total annoyance. Like an insult to any intelligent person. One could do many better things than watching this total waste of time that tells us - in an as stupid as senseless manner - platitudes we already know.

leplatypus There is a reunion of a great cast, the story is interesting and moving but the dynamic factor of Hesher is a bit a failure: his vulgarity, his wild attitude can be funny at start but after a while, the character is too much and he destroys the touch of reality of the movie.To extend my introduction, the family has fabulous people: it was good to meet again the great actor i spot by watching "Dark Angel" (see my review of his appearance in episode 1.17). There's something about him that says he has talent and his portrayal of a broken father is amazing. His mother is the old bxxch of "Twin Peaks" who shows there that she can have a heart also. The unknown boy is good: he is like a young Luke Skywalker who just stumble in and endless nightmare. His only light comes from his connection with Nathalie and the moment they share together are intense. On the other hand, "Robin" can do all the trash he wants, he stays at the end the good guy he is, so his Hesher isn't really convincing.The story is really interesting: Under the happy sun of California, life can be hard. It's good to see an American movie that speaks truth and that involves an average family. To make a kid the hero of a drama is original as at this age, it's just bang after bang as we can fight back. The only thing we need is parental love and here this love is just burning as his real parents are missing. If Hesher is too dangerous to stay, Natalie is a real angel. She has just a knack for these characters as she really embodies kindness, sweetness, empathy. As everyone was at the bottom of the pit and finally seem to stand up, it would be interesting to follow their path again and discover what happen to them. So, Nat, if you read this review, think about it !

tieman64 Unbelievable and poorly written, Spencer Susser's "Hesher" stars the always watchable Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a long haired slacker who enters the life of a young kid whose mother has recently died. The film was co-produced by actress Natalie Portman, who has a bit part.Don't be fooled by "Hesher" grunge and grime. This is "Mary Poppins" as filtered through indie conventions, Susser turning Joseph Gordon-Levitt into a foul mouthed squatter who magically appears and rescues a poor kid from depression. "Even if you lose one ball, you still have another," Hesher teaches us, an "always look on the bright side of life" message which is in keeping with the film's hokey, disguised sentimentality.Both Portman and Gordon-Levitt are watchable, but their characters don't convince as real people. They're characters "in quotes", more a collection of gimmicks than avatars of real human behaviour.5/10 - Worth one viewing.

searita4 A Saviour uses a fast track approach with his radical therapy to put those of us experiencing a shattered spirit, and we all do...at different ages and stages in our life. By hyper-extending our physical, emotional and mental security, he uses as many shocks to the heart as needed to jump start our spirits again, giving us new eyes of awareness and the guts to live fully! I absolutely loved this movies message and highly recommend it. Heshers message is awesome. The cast is excellent, with very few characters needed. I haven't seen a movie this good with such a clear cut message plain and simple in eons. Brilliantly written, directed and acted. Long Live Hesher! 10/10