Slowing down, in the Buddhist way, is all about opening oneself up to the cacophony of life. Audiences should keep this notion in mind during screenings of The Sessions, the new film from writer-director Ben Lewin, featuring John Hawkes in one of those quietly human performances.  

American remakes of British television shows tend to be hit or miss. The Office certainly found a place in America’s heart, but countless others just didn’t quite make the trip across the pond. Showtime’s Shameless gives an award-winning Brit series a Chicago-style makeover, resulting in one of the grittiest portrayals of lower class family life on U.S. television.