The Sessions

First Hit:  A touching thoughtful film.

In 1980 I audio recorded a conference on sexuality and the handicapped and disabled. It was very eye-opening and enlightening. During the 3 days I learned so much about how sexuality can enter and be embraced fully in a handicapped or disabled person’s life.

Here, the story is around Mark O’Brian (played by John Hawkes) who got polio when he was 8 years old. He wasn’t expected to live very long but now he’s over 35 and he’s still going strong. He lives most of his days in an iron lung in is small apartment and writing poems. He has helpers who moved him from place to place after he got involved in too many accidents with his electric gurney.

During the film he goes through different daytime women helpers, one with whom he falls in love. He’s never had a sexual relationship and decides he wants one and asks his priest Father Brendan (played by William H. Macy) if it would be OK – sex out of marriage.

He begins to work with a sex therapist named Cheryl (played by Helen Hunt). Here is where the acting becomes phenomenal. All the actors seem to fully embrace this story and their roles with deep compassion. Vera (played by Moon Bloodgood), his latest keeper is matter of fact, direct, and certainly someone I’d trust to be a caretaker. Her interaction with the hotel clerk is great.

Cheryl is beautiful, compassionate and hardened by her current life with a husband who doesn’t do a whole lot. The hardened part is seen around her mouth and the occasional forced smile. Mark is constantly fighting the battle of fear of the unknown and embracing becoming a sexually experienced man.

This film is very well acted by all.

Hawkes is amazing in this role and reflects O’Brian’s fears and limited abilities in an effective way. Macy was superb as the catholic priest whom guides Mark to explore his sexuality (“I think God will give you a pass on this”). Hunt is phenomenal as Cheryl and displays the right touch of vulnerability and factual practical empathy. Also very brave of her to appear fully naked over and over again in this role. As one would expect her own stuff appears and the way she internalizes it is shear talent. Bloodgood is wonderful in her role as caretaker. Ben Lewin wrote a very strong screenplay and also directed this film openly crisp.

Overall: Both educational and powerful in its execution by all actors.

Lincoln Lawyer

First Hit:  A wonderfully acted rendition of a Michael Connelly novel.

When a film begins it is important that the audience becomes quickly engaged in what is happening on the screen.

Lincoln Lawyer sets us up with a slightly stubbled Mick Haller (played by Matthew McConaughey) in a nice suit sitting in the back of an older black Lincoln Continental being followed by a group of bikers. Pulling over he is in his element, part street smart, part smart aleck, and overall trusted lawyer to help the biker's man in jail; for a price.

A bail bondsman named Val (played by John Leguizamo) hooks Haller up with a rich young man named Louis Roulet (played by Ryan Phillippe), who has been accused of killing a prostitute. We learn early that Haller has a history of getting people off and this reputation for getting guilty people off is why the police department doesn’t like him and his former wife, a DA, left him.

Marisa Tomei plays his former wife with which Haller shares a child and she has to excuse herself from prosecuting Roulet because Haller is his lawyer. As Haller learns more about his client he also realizes his isn’t as innocent as he claims but what pisses him off more is Roulet’s lying and manipulation.

As Haller has his investigator Frank (played by William H. Macy) find out more about Roulet, Frank is all of a sudden killed by Haller’s own antique gun. Tension builds, what will Haller do? He applies his craft and out thinks his client to make his life more right.

McConaughey is fantastic as Haller. He carries his intelligence in a suave, street savvy way. In this film you can clearly see McConaughey can act. Leguizamo is good in his small, yet critical part. Phillippe is naturally good as a slick rich boy who thinks he’s entitled to be above the rest of the people. Tomei has a small yet effective part in providing a viable backdrop of a life for Haller. Macy is wonderful as Haller’s right hand man. John Romano did an excellent job of writing a screen play from the Connelly novel. Brad Furman did an outstanding job of directing this fine cast through this well written script. He kept the film moving, crisp, and suspenseful.

Overall: A nicely done film and one worth seeing.