SUNSHINE CLEANING 3.0*** (almost 3.5****)

Amy Adams has become one of my favorite young actresses ( “Junebug”, “Charlie Wilson’s War”,” Enchanted” and “Doubt”) and Emily Blount is fast becoming one too ( “The Devil Wears Prada”, “Dan in Real Life” and the soon to be released “”The Great Buck Howard” ). SO, imagine my delight when I saw they were co-starring in an indie film called “Sunshine Cleaning”. I was not disappointed because individually and as a duo they are fascinating…they make the movie “shine” when it otherwise could have been dull. They play sisters desperately struggling to make a living while subconsciously trying to overcome the emotional scars of the suicide of their mother when they were young girls.
Once the head cheerleader in high school, Rose (Adams) struggles to make it as a cleaning lady. Her younger sister, Norah (Blunt), is no better off, she can't hold down a job and lives at home with their father, (Alan Arkin). These sisters make for striking contrasts…Rose, the almost hyper-responsible one, and Norah, a rudderless ball of slack…yet they are bound by their sisterly love. When Rose hears about the good money that can be made from cleaning up scenes of violent crimes, she decides that’s the business she should be in. She enlists Norah, her reluctant, usually aimless sister, to help her. They are novices at this gruesome job, filled with bio-hazardous dangers and special rules and regulations.
Adams is simply extraordinary, an absolute delight, turning every moment into a highly affecting tug-of-war between hope and reality. Blunt proves to be an excellent foil for Adams. It's Blount’s sharp portrayal of the ne’er-do-well sister and her character's search for inner peace and meaning that provides the film’s emotional spark. "Sunshine" is ultimately about the changes that happen when people take ownership of the sadness they've always carried, and decide they deserve something better. The film does not dazzle you with fireworks or glitter, but, instead with its BIG heart and honesty.
The movie has an “R” rating because it doesn't shy away from some of the gorier aspects of the job ( there's a reason the work pays well). Also, while billed as a comedy-drama, it is dark and quirky and may not be as “sunny” as some folks prefer.