Here is yet another movie i am reviewing in which the powers that be have used the makers of the movie as a marketing technique. Sure, it works, fans of "Little Miss Sunshine" may watch this movie because it's made by the same people, but anyone expecting the same movie is mistaken. But that doesn't mean it isn't a good movie.
"Sunshine Cleaning" revolves around Rose Lorkowski (Amy Adams). Rose is the single mother of an imaginative 8-year old named Oscar (Jason Spevack) and works cleaning houses. Her widower father Joe (Alan Arkin) is always trying to make money using get-rich-quick schemes to make money, whether it's selling candy to candy shops or imported shrimps to restaurants. Her sister Norah (Emily Blunt) is a free spirit who can't hold onto a job or control her impulses. Though Rose may seem the most stable minded member of the Lorkowski clan, she is currently stuck in dead-end relationship with married homicide detective Mac (Steve Zahn). After a man kills himself in a sporting goods store, Mac learns of a crime scene clean-up service that came in after the shooting. He later suggests it to Rose, thinking it would be a good alternative for her. Rose mulls it over, but takes it seriously after her son gets in trouble in school again. Deciding her son needs private school, Rose decides to go forward with the crime scene clean-up service and enlists her sister to join. After a few bumps in the road, the cleaning service proves to be successful, however it does conjure up bad memories of their mother's death, especially when Norah finds pictures of a dead woman's daughter Lynn (Mary Lynn Rajskub) in their first house. She seeks conservative, shy Lynn out and forms a special bond with her, while not revealing her true intentions. Rose achieves some achievements in life throughout but still struggles to come to grips with her past and her increasingly complicated relationship with her family and Mac. Furthermore, she also has to contend with wanting to seek new found validation from her former classmates who all seem to have the life she seeks.
PROS:
Amy Adams. Adams does a great job of making Rose a character you want the best for. Her faux strength is a mirror image of many single mothers just trying to make it. It reminded me of my mother. In spite of challenges she faces, she has inspirational resolve. Her journey to find herself and find validation in the work she does and the life she has makes her completely relateable. Also, "Sunshine Cleaning" has a large amount of sweet, raw, real moments that allow you to fully know the characters and understand their motivation during certain scenes. I think the second best performance came from Clifton Collins Jr. Collins plays a one-armed cleaning supply store owner who later befriends Rose and her son Oscar. He comes off immediately as a guy you don't want to know, but soon becomes the most likable character in the supporting cast. In addition, the movie is considered a comedy, but in actuality the comedic moments are substantially less frequent than the dramatic moments.
CONS:
I felt Emily Blunt was under utilized in this film. Most of her scenes were slower and way more somber than her character seemed to be. Though it may be on purpose, it would have been nice to see Blunt character show a little bit more of the playful side we saw in the first part of the movie carry on. Second, Arkin's character seemed to be a subdued version of his character in "Little Miss Sunshine". He wasn't a drug addict or as profane, but the similarities are there. And not just because it is the same actor.
Recommendation:
Rent it.
WRITTEN BY:
Megan Holley
DIRECTED BY:
Christine Jeffs
MAIN CAST:
Amy Adams ("Enchanted", "Doubt")
Emily Blunt ("The Devil Wears Prada", "Dan In Real Life")
Alan Arkin ("Edward Scissorhands", "Little Miss Sunshine")
Jason Spevack ("Fever Pitch", "Hollywoodland")
Steve Zahn ("That Thing You Do", "Riding in Cars with Boys")
Clifton Collins Jr. ("Traffic", "Star Trek")
Mary Lynn Rajskub ("Sweet Home Alabama", "Little Miss Sunshine")
Eric Christian Olsen ("Not Another Teen Movie", "Eagle Eye")
SIMILAR TITLES:
Little Miss Sunshine, Spanglish, Thank You for Smoking
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