The Sessions - 4 smiles

One reason to see “The Sessions” is for John Hawkes’ remarkable performance as Mark O’Brien, who, at age 6, was ravaged by polio that required him to spend most of his time in an iron lung. Hawkes uses only his face to capture the depth and essence of this thoughtful man. But if Hawkes is the heart of the movie, Helen Hunt’s portrayal of Cheryl, a sexual surrogate who helps Mark lose his virginity, is the soul and the second reason to this exceptionally touching movie. Hawkes undoubtedly deserves an Oscar nomination for his touching performance and so does Hunt as a woman who has no problem taking off her clothes for strangers, but can’t have a single honest conversation with a husband who takes her for granted. Both Hawkes and Hunt elevate the material into something memorable.

As an adult, Mark used a motorized gurney and a portable respirator, which allowed him to unplug and leave the house for a few hours at a time, to attend UC Berkeley, where he majored in English literature. He wrote by pushing the keys of a typewriter with a pencil in his mouth and he eventually published several collections of poetry and freelanced as a journalist. Ben Litwin, who wrote and directed, focuses on one specific chapter in Mark’s life – the time he lost his virginity. However, Mark first must get permission from his priest, Father Brendan (William H. Macy). Mark is a devout Catholic and his request for sex outside of marriage first puzzles the priest, but he eventually tells Mark, ‘In my heart I believe He will give you a pass on this one.’ The only question is to find a willing partner, who turns out to be Cheryl (Hunt), a married woman and mother who works as a sexual surrogate, helping the disabled and the mentally challenged to explore their sexuality. The core of the movie is the scenes between Mark and Cheryl, which are uncommonly frank about sex and nudity, but they’re also about how Mark overcomes his shyness and self-consciousness and how Cheryl is able to look past her client’s disabilities to see the intelligent, brave, funny man inside. “The Sessions” treats intimacy with an honesty that’s rare in movies and with two top-notch performances, it’s certainly worth seeing. 10/20/12