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Not Amusing 2010-08-05

Reviewer: Gauntletwielder

When it was originally released, this movie was advertised as a comedy. I finally got a chance to watch it. (I bought a used DVD copy.)

This film is NOT a comedy. It is about as funny as Monster's Ball. If you like nice, slow, tranquil dramas...then this might be for you. It also reinforces the fact that regular people do dumb stuff every day.

I feel as if the trailer was misleading. My favorite part of the entire movie, was the Siamese kitten.

Most people deal with idiots as part of their daily life. There is no need to go to any effort to watch a movie about idiots.

You get used to it 2010-07-19

Reviewer: DelusionalAngel

Rose is kind of tired of being seen as just a maid. Her sister, Norah, has just been fired from her waitress job. Rose's married boyfriend, a cop, assures her that her skills are useful - cleaning crime scenes pays well. Talking Norah into joining her the two start a business doing just that. It's not easy or fun, but Rose is proud of her work, still managing Norah, raising a son, dealing with dad, being the other woman? It's not such an easy life to live. Can any of them really handle it?

It did feel like there could have been a little more done with this movie, still over all a good movie.

An uneven tone unleashes excellent performances 2010-06-25

Reviewer: ninjasuperstar

It's rare to see a movie with believable dialogue and an odd plot. Usually, the writer will add more platitudes to the dialogue to dampen the oddness and make the story seem more familiar. (Superhero movies do this often.) There's certainly nothing ordinary about a single mother deciding to start a crime scene cleaning business--even when the economy is bad--but the desperation of Rose Lorkowski (brilliantly played by Amy Adams) and her childless-but-a-child-herself sister Norah (played by Emily Blunt) is so complete that it seems like a good idea. Adams excellent sense of pathos draws the audience in; her situation just sucks, and although she doesn't always make good decisions, she indeed suffers.

As great as Adams is in this film, Clifton Collins, Jr. stands out for me. He takes an essentially thin character (Winston) and makes him vibrant, full of ideas and feelings, even when he's given little to do and little to say. He does it with such subtlety that it's difficult to pinpoint what he's doing to make the character work. I haven't seen him in many films, and this seems a shame as he's quite talented.

I have no idea why Alan Arkin is in this film. He plays the same seemingly absent-minded crank as he does in Little Miss Sunshine only he's less funny here. The role should have been given to someone who would actually try and not phone it in with their own personality.

The tone of the film is a bit uneven. Is this a comedy, a drama, a mash of genres? The director didn't make that decision, and so we call the film "independent." But the excellent acting makes up for the film's few faults.

Sunshine is Dark, Moody, Strange and Amazing 2010-05-28

Reviewer: CPR

I have to admit that, at first, I didn't expect to like this movie very much. In fact I expected it to be some kind of artsy chick flick. This movie is worth a watch for anyone that likes dark indy comedies or strange turn-of-event movies. Amy Adams is great as the lead in what seems like her most down to earth role I've seen so far. She is a good actress, but mostly I see her movies as genre redundant - (romantic comedies). This movie is anything but romantic, in fact it's life-liftingly tragic... if such a thing can be fathomed.

The movie mostly centers around Amy Adam's character as she struggle as a single mom. She is overwhelmed in life by a mentally fragile sister, weird young son, and get-rich-quick scheming father all in tow. Needless to say her money situation pushes her into the field of cleaning up crime scenes and other bio hazards. Each character is flawed by their past and throughout the movie you begin to feel them struggle against the inevitable. But in the end this movie does have a great message, wonderfully vivid characters, quotable one-liners, and lots of awkward moment laughs to break up the drama. The DVD cover mentions that it is made by the producers of Little Miss Sunshine - and yes, if you like that movie then this is definitely worth a chance.

A "bloody" gem. 2010-05-24

Reviewer: ADRIENNE MILLER

Sunshine Cleaning starring Amy Adams and Emily Blunt is an interesting indie flick about two sisters learning to find themselves by "cleaning" up after the dead. Directed by Christine Jeffs (Sylvia) and co-starring Alan Arkin, Sunshine Cleaning was a pleasant surprise. Adams and Blunt are extraordinary in their roles, I love everything about this film - the premise, the acting, and the emotional ending. I highly recommend it and fantastic musical score by Michael Penn.