The Sessions (2012)
Though a childhood bout with polio left him dependent on an iron lung, Mark O'Brien maintains a career as a journalist and poet. A writing assignment dealing with sex and the disabled piques Mark's curiosity, and he decides to investigate the possibility of experiencing sex himself. When his overtures toward a caregiver scare her away, he books an appointment with sex surrogate Cheryl Cohen-Greene to lose his virginity.
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best movie i've ever seen.
Absolutely the worst movie.
A waste of 90 minutes of my life
This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.
Fearless and raw performances from John Hawkes and Helen Hunt in the true story of a 38 year old man who has spent most of his life in an iron lung due to polio and enlists the guidance of a priest and the help of a sex surrogate in order to lose his virginity.This is a bittersweet drama with interesting and very real feeling characters. The performance's are raw and personal while also funny, tender and touching. John Hawkes is simply brilliant as Mark O'Brien, his portrayal courageous and reminiscent of Daniel Day-Lewis in 'My Left Foot' yes he's that good.The acting across the board is fantastic though. Helen Hunt received an Oscar nomination and William H. Macy is always a treat to watch, here he plays Father Brendan, a laid back priest who (whether he realizes it or not) ends up living vicariously through Mark, anticipating the ongoing stories of 'the sessions'. I loved the relationship between these two.If I'm honest I had trouble believing the love angle this took though, not because I didn't feel it was possible but because the film failed to deliver much of a lead up especially on the side of Cheryl who just suddenly loved him. 1/29/16
The story touches on such rarely discussed subject, sexuality and disabilities, and takes it to one of the most extreme limits it can imagine. I really like the earlier dialog line: "I am a true believer. I believe in a God with a sense of humor, a wicked sense of humor, who created me in His odd image." The fact that dramatization of this movie include William H. Macy's priest character just makes all the utterly hyperbolic and paradoxical nature of this movie the more weird. Yet it kind of succeeded in keeping my curiosity about it, and to keep on watching. Not being a mere predictable, in my opinion this movie was able to do emotion play so well that it was able to steer from a pity inducing movie at the first minutes into one with a glimmer of hope, even though it's in a sense a wrong one. Helen Hunt goes all out to totality with this one in her older years of her career, while John Hawkes only acted out an average performance.
Can a 38 year old man using an iron lung for survival become sexually active to fulfill his desires? This is essentially what the movie is about. Yes, it is a true story, and no, it should have never been made. While I'm sorry for the gentleman, this need not be discussed on the screen.William H. Macy plays the renegade, modern priest who listens to all this and Helen Hunt, totally unrecognizable, is the surrogate sex therapist hired to have sessions with John Hawkes so as to make him a man.Hunt who in the film is married to Adam Arkin and in the process of converting to Judaism, goes to Mikvah (the ritual bath) and is led by Rhea Perlman, of all people. I thought this was almost comic was viewing that scene.There are certain things in life that we should use common sense and know what is virtuous and not be discussed. The subject matter of this film is a prime example.
"Let me touch you with my movie", director Ben Lewin can tell this easily. This movie is really touching and mind soothing. Brilliant acting by John Hawkes and Helen Hunt. The concept of the movie is awesome with this kind of subject like sex surrogate. Its a story of man who may be physically broken but with sharp mind and great sense of humor. His heart is also full of love and in this movie he is loved and loved. Helen Hunt did a brilliant job to characterize the sex surrogate who struggled to maintain difference between her professional and emotional life. That sex surrogate also had a interesting and complicated bonding with her husband and son which is very smartly presented. I think only comparable movie with this is The Reader. I also think John Hawkes and Helen Hunt both deserved Oskar nomination at least. This movie revealed that the enormous power of a strong heart not just to stay alive but also make friends and being loved.