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Oct 19, 2012 By John Oursler Web Exclusive

The Sessions, directed by Ben Lewin, tells the inspiring true story of Mark O’Brien, a 38-year-old male paralyzed since childhood due to complications from Polio. John Hawkes portrays writer and poet O’Brien who, at the request of his publisher, embarks on a serendipitous assignment researching the sexual lives of disabled peoples.

Himself a virgin, O’Brien becomes a participant in his own research by pursuing the help of a sex therapist named Cheryl (Helen Hunt). Along the way, Mark and Cheryl engage in a series of therapy “sessions” that she hopes will prepare him for a successful sex life upon their completion. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the two forge a tender relationship of both physical and spiritual awakening for each. Though this could verge on sentimental and manipulative, the film successfully restrains those qualities in order to appropriately engage the viewer via the characters and their journeys.

What makes The Sessions such a good film is the understated yet canny approach by Lewin, which meshes nicely with the beautifully nuanced acting turns by both Hunt and Hawkes. O’Brien’s inherently engaging and inspirational story needs no bells and whistles. The crew onboard seems to intuitively grasp that, and the results are sublime. (www.foxsearchlight.com/thesessions)

Author rating: 7.5/10