Portrayal on Screen: The Sessions

A gripping film telling a real life story of how forty plus, polio survivor, Mark O’Brien (John Hawles), who spends most of his day in an iron lung, first clears his conscience with his Catholic priest( William Macey) and then embarks on working with a sex surrogate (Cheryl) to experience sex for the first time in his life. After some initial faltering he is successful, though Mark falls in love with his surrogate (Helen Hunt) and she is also taken with him, but the rules do not allow this. Later Hawkes develops the self esteem to embark on a loving relationship. Though played by a non-disabled actor Hawkes’ gives a realistic portrayal.