Based on a true story, the film follows the life of Mark O’Brien (played by John Hawkes), a man who for all intents and purposes is paralyzed from the neck down. But while his body might be impaired from movement his mind is still very much active. One day he decides it’s time he lost his virginity and so decides to do so via the help of a sexual surrogate named Cheryl (played by Hunt) and with the advice of his priest (William H. Macy).
Given the subject matter you might be expecting a heavy-duty, borderline depressing drama about how terrible Mark’s condition is. But surprisingly what we get is a much more light-hearted affair. Framed with the titular sessions, the film even borders on the whimsical at times as Mark’s sunny outlook on life despite his condition gives the film an uplifting spark. There are undeniable similarities between this and the award-winning French hit The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (the afflicted main character making quips about his helpers around him and so forth) but the more jocular approach stops this from being truly substantial as that film was.
It’s Hawkes and Hunt, then, who elevate the proceedings. Hawkes gives a tremendous physical and emotional performance, convincingly portraying a man confined in body but free in mind. Hunt gives an equally honest and brave performance, and not just because she has no problem going completely nude for the role although it’s admirable and very rare for a Hollywood actress to commit to a role in such a way (she has rightfully been nominated for an Oscar for the performance). Macy steps in every now and then to provide for some very funny, touching and insightful scenes with Hawkes, conflicted in wanting to help him while staying true to his religion. It’s a film built on small character interactions that lend it an air of genuineness.
The film is fairly formulaic in how it ultimately plays out; you’ll get no points for working out how it’s going to end. But it’s the film’s frankness about sex (those scenes are anything but cheap and tasteless) and disability that makes it refreshing. Some may argue it treats the subjects rather flippantly but its no-nonsense approach is part of its charm, coming and going in a sort of “that’s life” way.
The Sessions is one of those films that’s lifted by its central performances, which elevate an otherwise fairly light and unsubstantial Oscar-bait drama into something that gets to the heart and truth of a unique situation that so easily could have been mishandled. The fact that it’s so open about that situation throughout makes it all the more pleasantly surprising.
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The Sessions is released in UK cinemas on January 18th.
