Sunshine Cleaning - Movie Review and Synopsis

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Category: Movies. Tags: Alan Arkin, Amy Adams, Christine Jeffs, Comedy, Crime, Emily Blunt, Overture Films.

Sunshine Cleaning Industrious single mother Rose Lorkowski (Adams) starts an unusual business in order to send her son to a private school; alongside her unreliable sister (Blunt), the two women enter the world of biohazard removal and crime scene clean-ups.

The Sundance set wasn’t particularly wowed by director Christine Jeffs’s follow-up to Sylvia, though I think this is one of the more resonant films that screened at the 2008 festival. Jeffs is unafraid to explore the vagueness of certain family dynamics, and to rely on visuals in the places where too-much-exposition typically is used. There is, of course, much backstory to be discovered in the relationship between Adams and Blunt, and yes, Alan Arkin again inhabits the role of quirky old man … but are these bad things? Of course not. Think of Adams in Junebug form, and Blunt all Gothic and smeared eyeliner; get psyched for a solid supporting performance from Clifton Collins Jr., too.

Rated R for language, disturbing images, some sexuality and drug use.

Director: Christine Jeffs
Stars: Amy Adams, Emily Blunt, Alan Arkin
Studio: Overture Films
Release Date: 27 March 2009 (USA)
Genre: Comedy | Crime