Cinematic Releases: The Sessions

Character actor, John Fawkes, finally takes on a lead role with absolute passion and a hauntingly human portrayal in the dramatic film, The Sessions. His breathtaking performance as poet John Hawkes has been years in the making as he intertwines humor and emotion in to one of this year's strongest dramatic roles. Fawkes and The Sessions will hopefully be a big player come Oscar season.

The Sessions is a true story that tackles the heavy topic of sexuality and the emotional toll it can take on a paralyzed person. Director Ben Lewin handles this with grace as the film never becomes heavy handed or becomes an emotionally draining human tragedy. Instead, we're given an uplifting film that preaches the true power of love and how positive momentum can take the human spirit to great places. If not for a strong supporting cast including Helen Hunt and William H. Macy, this idea may have fallen flat. They are both devoted in their roles and each reaches great new heights in their acting careers.

The Sessions is an affectionate film that takes chances by not wasting time on cliched human interaction. Alternately, we're given a film that is a true representation of real life people, all the while opening the flood gates to a bevy of authentic human feelings. It's not often that I state how emotionally invested a film is, but this one definitely captured my heart.