I have a soft spot for nice little indie flicks and this one goes beyond that in my book. I was very tired when I was watching this film because I've been working and getting used to my new schedule. However, I was in the mood to watch a couple of movies because I still have a "Best Of 2009" list to make before February.
"Sunshine Cleaning" is a film directed by Christine Jeffs and starring Amy Adams and Emily Blunt, two of my favorite actresses, Alan Arkin, Steve Zahn, and Clifton Collins Jr. This film is about a former cheerleader who has gone nowhere with her life. She is having an affair with her former jock boyfriend who is now married and working as a maid. After running into old friends and wanting her son to go to a private school, she decides to get into the business of cleaning up crime scenes after being told it was lucrative by her married lover. She goes into it with her underachieving sister and their lives are changed after realizing that there's more to cleaning a crime scene than cleaning. I really enjoyed watching this film mainly because of the two lead actresses that carried the film. This film could've indulged in numerous cliches but didn't and that's what I admired about it.
Emily Blunt is amazing, in this, as the disillusioned Norah. With every film I'm usually drawn to a particular actor and with Emily I was hooked. There's this ease in her performance that just works and she pulls off any situation that is thrown at her character. NOT overdone but in a nice nuanced way. Amy Adams is always a revelation because she's very good with facial expressions. You can read her mind just by her expression on her face. When she actually talks along with that face, it's magic. I love watching her. Now, I have to talk about Alan Arkin because he is very underrated as an actor even though he won an Oscar. As their father in the film, he brought a certain quiet aggressiveness to the role. He was a hustler and a father and the way he played it was beautiful. BEAUTIFUL. Clifton Collins Jr. is another character actor who is great and I love him in everything. He plays a one armed man in this film who obviously has a past that we never find out about. You know what? The reason why you know there is a past is because of his performance. The way he plays this role is that of a man who has "lived". Although at some point I thought he might've been the love interest to Amy Adams because they were being a little flirty throughout the film. It also plays on the realities of life after high school and the pressure to be successful at a certain age and that one question that makes anyone who isn't doing anything cringe..."So what are you doing now?" It's the one question that makes anyone feel worthless and it's painful to see the lengths that Amy's character goes to impress her old high school peers.
I recommend this film if you want something fun and quirky yet touching to watch. It's a great little film and the performances are worth a rental.
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