Rotten Tomatoes Plot: Based on the poignantly optimistic autobiographical writings of California-based journalist and poet Mark O'Brien, The Sessions tells the story of a man confined to an iron lung who is determined - at age 38 - to lose his virginity. With the help of his therapists and the guidance of his priest, he sets out to make his dream a reality.

Director: Ben Lewin

What’s Best: John Hawkes and Helen Hunt are sensational, particularly Hawkes who makes anything seem possible, ‘I can be a bit time consuming, but I’m worth it.’ Despite not moving, Hawkes performance is physically impressive (try sitting still for five minutes... it’s not easy.) Speaking of physical, hats off to Hunt for baring all (and looking damn good doing it) at 49. Hunt is an absolute joy to watch... I only wish we could see more of her (pun intended.) Jokes aside, the Oscar winning best actress (As Good as It Gets) makes this movie watchable. 

What’s Not: Despite moments of levity, The Sessions is laden with drama and strangely void of emotion. It’s hard to root for Mark, ‘a dynamic voice in a paralyzed body’ especially when most of his day is spent inside an iron lung. Outside of interacting with Hunt and William H. Macy as Father Brendan, Mark’s life (and this movie) is somewhat dull. I would have liked to see more of Mark by himself... What a remarkable man he must be.

Best Line: Mark is incredibly upbeat, given his circumstances/obstacles. He tosses around jokes and one-liners with deadpan precision. ‘The only bedroom furniture I have at home is an iron lung.’ ‘I once asked someone to marry me. She declined. Does that count as masturbation?’ and my personal favorite, ‘I’m probably getting close to my use by date.’ Bravery and comedy never played so well together.

Overall: Cheryl (Hunt) warns Mark of a limit on the time they can spend together: Sadly, the same limit applies to the actors’ time on screen. The scenes with both Hawkes and Hunt are nothing short of magical. The Sessions addresses sex with honesty and (more importantly) a smile. During one of their encounters, Cheryl sits on Mark’s face (I told you it was honest) prompting Mark to cry, ‘I’m choking! That’s off the menu until further notice.’ How can you not call this entertaining? That said, it’s hard to overlook the overall lull that rules the rest of the movie. B- for a tender performance by Hawkes, and the subtle way Lewin presents it on screen.