The Sessions

The Sessions (2012) starring John Hawkes, Helen Hunt, William H. Macy, Moon Bloodgood. A disabled man named Mark (Hawkes), who at some point had polio, hires a sex surrogate named Cheryl (Hunt) to help him experience sex for the first time. At 38 years of age, he has never even masturbated, because his muscles are useless  -- even though he has full sensation in his entire body. Rarely do I complain about a movie being too short, but this one felt like it could have been a little longer. At 94 minutes, it's about the length I like in a movie, but it seems to end rather abruptly; it seemed like the film still had some territory to explore. Nevertheless, I was moved by the ending, and ended up feeling that this was practically a perfect little movie. The acting is very good, and the fact that it's based on a true story doesn't do any harm. Mark O'Brien was a real person, and the film rings true. (Subtitles in English are offered on the disc for the hearing-impaired, and closed captions are also available.) Grade: B+