Shocking that Helen Hunt took on this role, it posed a real challenge. Just saw her in "Twister" hours earlier and it was hard to make the transition. However, I am so glad she did this. Her acting skills in the tenderness, caring, and empathy department are unparalleled. The connection she established in such a short time frame, within a professional environment, was nothing short of amazing.I related to his crippling disability and the limitations of life that he sought to overcome, albeit with humor and a great attitude. Anyone who has experienced this situation would not pass judgement on his need for intimacy and connection. His priest, the venerable Mr. Macy, was a total crackup and one that would never last in my congregation. San Francisco, love it or hate it, does embrace the fringe of society which includes those who don't fit in physically.I actually learned something about setting boundaries, a tough subject to address with impact. I thought she was a bit rough addressing his sensitive concerns, but found her forceful nature made him calmer with her confidence. Talking so directly about physical intimacy is hard to do, especially when you are young, but is a challenge even in later years. I found her manner interesting and something to consider for future encounters.I was surprised to find this film so deeply emotional. Most likely due to the extremely heartfelt acting, the tragic situation, the uplifting triumph, and the inspirational ending. High recommend for disabled isolated outcasts, those looking for a loving connection and a solid religious interaction.

I didn't feel like the scenes went by too quickly, so much as they just focused on the wrong people... It was interesting how the sessions affected his intimacy with other people (Amanda, Vera, and even the girl he met at the end... Susan?) but instead we focus on the more sensational aspects, and his development as a human being kind of gets shortchanged because of it... It makes sex the center of everything, when really it felt more like sex was just the gateway that helped to open up corners of his personality that were previously closed off.In a similar vein, having him fall in love with his surrogate also reinforced this, and was the wrong move for the movie, I felt (even if that's how it played out, in reality... ) It gives the impression that the emphasis should be on the person you get to have sex with, when really I feel like the companionship is the more important part of it. (I'm disabled myself, if that colours my interpretation of the movie at all, and I have had similar experiences to those depicted in the movie)Now, technically there was nothing wrong with the story that was told, but I just feel like some tinkering with the elements I mentioned would have made the viewing more fulfilling, for me... We can't all get the movie we want, I guess! Still, what it does cover, it covers well.

You know, one thing that surprised me is how brave the whole cast was in producing such an unconventional film, given that the subject and the plot as a whole aren't for anyone. People who have handicapped people in their families feel the subject as a delicate issue, so this movie's impression may be a little different, depending on the spectator's personal experiences. It's admirable to see how courageous Helen Hunt was to play such controversial character, specially because she does some nude scenes in a non-traditional kind of relationship. Some scenes are unintentionally funny, such as when the priest has to listen to Mark's confessions involving sex, due to the fact that we all imagine fathers as very conservative people. In my opinion, "The Sessions" is a film that followed a different way of 2004's "Mar adentro", which turned out to be slightly better. However, some elements of the plot felt a little implausible to me, and it ended with some lack of strong moments, which are expected in a drama movie. Recommended movie anyways, even it not flawless.

With The Sessions, Ben Lewis delivers an intimist and very sensitive movie about this man who is going to discover his sexuality and find love at the same time.The excellent John Hawkes embodies the endearing Mark O'Brien with an undeniable accuracy and the quest of this character trapped in an iron lung is depicted with a sweet and sour tone and a lot of humour.Despite the movie being pretty well made, it it still difficult to be really passionate about this story probably because of the slight lack of rhythm and the relative redundancy of the action.However, The Sessions deserves credit for tackling in a beautiful way, and without any melodramaticism, such a difficult subject.