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franceswagg
Reviews
The Sessions (2012)
The Sessions is a good film elevated by great performances,
The sessions is the true story of Mark O'Brien (John Hawkes), a poet, journalist and polio sufferer. After being rejected by the girl he loves, he decides to seek help from a sexual surrogate (Helen Hunt) in order to lose his virginity and ultimately feel like a complete man before he hits his expiration date.
It is written and Directed by Ben Lewis, which is well written, and very witty at times. The direction is simplistic through out, and whilst sensitively and tastefully done, especially the sex scenes, it does not do anything interesting to distinguish it. This will make it evidently compared to The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. Which is not a bad thing.
The strengths of The Sessions are almost entirely in the wonderful acting of John Hawkes and Helen Hunt, both deliver affecting performances which are rightfully receiving praise across the board. The supporting cast are equally as good, William H Macy playing a priest who is the confidant and friend of Hawkes, is hilarious and likable. The other cast members are equally as good, Moon Bloodgood is sweet and funny as his carer, and Annika Marks is equally as good as Marks' former love interest. Also With a nice performance as the understanding husband by Adam Arkin.
In Bruges (2008)
This was my favorite film of 2008
This was my favorite film of 2008. It's rare that a film can come along and affect you in a way that makes you laugh and makes you really connect with the struggles of the lead characters. This is exactly what In Bruges does, and it does it with such an unpretentious and dramatic flair. You really connect with each character and see why Colin Farell is perfect in his role, as the man child Ray, his tempo, comedic timing and childishness never overshadow his true feelings and he brings a lot of heart into it. Brendan Gleeson is mesmerizing as he plays an old hit-man facing a very hard decision and you really see him go back and forth. Ralph Fiennes almost steals the show as the foul mouthed, cold but with a human side mob boss. The supporting artists are even cast well, from the dwarf Jimmy, to the hotel owner Marie, to the arms dealer Yuri, they each play their parts believably and at the same time hilariously. However the star here is the screenplay, what effortlessly balances some of the juvenile humor and the hard hitting questions the movie arises. One of my favorite movies.