Think of how much you use your arms and legs? Besides walking, imagine if you couldn’t grab the mouse you’re using to browse the computer, if you couldn’t dance to Flo Rida music, if you couldn’t high-five your closest pals. Your world would be a lot different? For “The Sessions”, which deals with the true story of a man with paralysis who wants more out of life.
Mark O’Brien (John Hawkes) was paralyzed from the neck down at a young age. Spending his whole life feeling like life is out of his grasp, he decides to achieve his newfound dream: losing his virginity. To help achieve this, he hires a sex surrogate named Cheryl Greene (Helen Hunt). What starts out as strictly business becomes much more complicated for both of them, as their newfound feelings change their worlds forever.
With a unique story at it’s base, “The Sessions” dives in head first to the world of Mark O’Brien and never leaves. The script inhabits a fantastic realm where the simplest everyday tasks are never to be accomplished; dialing the telephone (don’t ask how, it’s too complicated for mere writing) is the most poor Mark can accomplish. Mark is like no other character seen in a movie this year, at times funny in his quips, touching in his more emotional moments and sympathetic in his most vulnerable situations.
The movie sprinkles it’s unconventional story with welcome doses of humor. William H. Macy, playing a priest and a good buddy to Mark, gets a lot of the good laughs, as does John as he tries to lighten his difficult life with various humorous remarks. On the opposite side of the spectrum, the emotion is handled really well, especially towards the ending, where a perilous situation will leave viewers on the edge of their seat.
The movie is unpredictable and it’s refreshing to be genuinely in the dark about where it is headed. However, the ending, while it was a bit of surprise, may have been a touch more than the movie needed.
John Hawkes plays the leading role brilliantly, giving the performance small nuances that make all the difference in the world. He does this part so well, it is almost guaranteed he will receive a Best Actor nomination come February. Helen Hunt is also grand as the surrogate who’s a fascinating character. Her odd job makers her knowledgeable of the physical tasks she must do, but she doesn’t realize the emotion the job can also convey, as is the case with Mark O’Brien.
“The Sessions” is like no other movie released this year and most viewers probably haven’t seen anything like it. Powerful and brilliantly put together, it’s a different kind of movie, but one definitely worth seeing.
NOTE: This movie contains graphic nudity and sexual references and dialogue. If offended by such material, exert caution.
