I’m not sure how or when I became aware of sex surrogates, I just know I was familiar with the concept when I became aware of The Sessions. I first heard of the movie during the Oscars. Helen Hunt was up for the Best Supporting Actress award this year. During the broadcast, when the nominees were announced, they cut over to Hunt and the voiceover guy gave a quick and concise summary of the movie plot. That’s all I had to go on when I made a mental note to check this one out when I got a chance.
This one’s based on a real story, the story of journalist and poet, Mark O’Brien. In the film, Mark (John Hawkes) is 38, brilliant and bottled up in an iron lung. Mark is hilarious, awkward, sometimes mean and still a virgin. He’s hoping to lose his virginity with the help of a recommended sex surrogate, but he’s torn and he’s hoping his priest and friend Father Brendan (William H. Macy) can help guide him through this, his most pressing of personal issues.
John Hawkes portrays a sometimes hyper-emotional, buoyant and comical Mark O’Brien. Mark wears his heart on his sleeve no doubt. John Hawkes transmits even the most nuanced emotions in his portrayal through those eyes. Hawkes’ brilliant sense of comedic timing counters the looming nature of Mark O’Brien’s life circumstances seamlessly. Hawkes’ portrayal was touching with enough comedic melodrama thrown in to make the story resonate.
Helen Hunt earned the hell out of that Oscar nomination. She’s the pragmatic, upbeat and friendly sex surrogate named Cheryl. Hunt develops Cheryl into an intriguing mix of professional, kind, sexy and emotionally starved character traits. Cheryl is kind but she’s real. Hunt expertly portrays the sensibility and vulnerability necessary for a sex surrogate like Cheryl to do her job properly.
I’m not sure what it is about William H. Macy, but I smiled the instant he popped up on screen as Mark’s priest. WHM brings to the movie a thoughtful, honest and well-meaning priest. His earnest and compassionate performance is notable in many ways. Above all, the warmth is palpable in his performance and it’s nice to revel in that facet of the story for a while.
The Sessions is uplifting and fortunately, it doesn’t go so far in this direction that it comes off as unrealistic. Reality checks abound but the story shines through as well as the stellar performances from all involved.