Sex and sensibility

Being wary of men who wear novelty braces is one of those rules of thumb I’ve always tried to adhere to. So when I’m introduced to Ben Lewin, the writer and director of the lauded new film The Sessions and spy his bright-yellow braces, designed to look like a tape measure, my heart sinks for a moment. Am I, as my instinct suggests, about to be overwhelmed by ‘zaniness’?

Thankfully, the answer proves to be no. Lewin, a short, slightly portly man who looks a touch older than his 66 years, is far quieter than his choice of braces suggests. He’s a happy man, too, smiling as he does throughout much of our time together, reminding me of a sitting Buddha.

Lewin, who walks with the aid of crutches after suffering from polio as a child, has every right to be content. The Sessions, released here next week, is finally helping him to make a name for himself in the film industry.