JGL is great, playing mostly against type, and I loved the film's (almost) complete lack of sentimentality or typical melodrama, but it never really seems to go anywhere or do anything with its concept. It's got some great, brilliant moments of dark comedy, but in service of what? The film doesn't seem to know either.

Still, you could do worse.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt does a decent enough job playing the lead role of Hesher but really nothing happens in this movie. You just get a bunch of random adventures with Hesher and the kid (who is annoying as hell in this). Everything just seems to happen without too much consequence and then they try to pull in a heartwarming ending but by then I did not care anymore. 1/2*

Mr. Levitt was great but this movie bored me. I think Rainn Wilson shows he can do more than comedy but I was bored bored bored.

Oh, also bored.

I didn't find it even remotely boring. Really enjoyed it. Natalie was cute in it.

B/B+

Unsettling movie. But in a good way. Gordon-Levitt is captivating in the title role. I dug how he never seemed entirely safe. Even when he's obviously doing a good deed, you're still a bit on edge in his presence.

Portman is a bit under utilized, but very charming and sweet. The movie ends up being quite moving in the end.

B+

Hesher

Pretty shit. Nothing really happens in the whole film apart from Hesher doing things for no point and not caring about anything. What is it..does he think he's a rocker or something? Like when rock stars are in hotels and they throw the TV through the window, does he think he's cool? And what's with the dad, he just lets that piece of shit into his house? Why doesn't the kid tell the dad that he's a waster and he didn't invite him in?

Weird and stupid film probably made by wannabe rockers that just put together a script and an idea for a film purely so they could use some of their favourite rock tracks as the soundtrack. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is good in this as Hesher, so that's not my problem - he earned his salary and all, as did the little boy. The problem here is the film is just crap. There's no moral to the Hesher's nonsensical actions, and taking the casket out of the funeral home at the end to take grandma for a walk was fucking ridiculous. Then they ran after him and placed their hands on it too. Jesus Christ that was pathetic. There was also no point in hiring Natalie Portman either, she was wasted in a role that anybody could have played. She produced this, though, so I suppose she wanted to save money. But it's not even as if they used her name for financial success...the film played in 42 theaters and grossed a total of $382k, and it cost $7m! It's one of the biggest bombs ever made. No wonder, because it's shit.

It's in the same vein of shit as The Devil's Rejects. Violence (albeit mild) and situations occur for no plot-adding reasons whatsoever. The family is having a hard time because of the loss of the wife/mother, so why does the kid try and get the red car back all of the time? Not explained. It's dumped on the front driveway. Not explained. Why is Hesher there at all? Not explained. Why did he let that kid beat him up and stick his face down the toilet? Not explained. I am sure many of you can come up with reasons why all of those things and more happened, and you can try and seem like real film intellects, but the fact of the matter is that there was no moral or hidden meaning to the story at all, and nothing was explained, and if it's not clearly linked or implied as to why things happen in a movie, then the film-makers are at fault, and thus this is an awful film because many of he plot points are ambiguous.

F