Blu-Ray – Comedy Movies

Concentrating on the different ways in which people slowly come to terms with life’s traumatic upheavals and disappointments, there is never anything heavy-handed or preachy in the screenplay. This intelligent, subtle approach is beautifully complimented by Christine Jeffs’ direction. There is an almost documentary style to the way the film is shot, though this is not to say there are lots of wobbly hand-held camera takes and the visual style with its gently subdued pastel colours is never at the expense of the narrative or the performances.

There is not one poor actor on show, and it’s a shame really because of its “independent” status, intelligence and (comparatively) low budget that SUNSHINE CLEANING will not be as familiar to audiences if it were produced by one of the bigger US studios. All the principal actors give career-best performances and the dependable Alan Arkin is especially worthy of praise. Jason Spevack, playing Rose’s 8 year-old son is also exceptional – a superb child-actor who quietly steals scenes without being saccharine or irritatingly precocious.

The extras on the DVD are slightly disappointing. The most interesting feature is the short documentary “A FRESH LOOK AT A DIRTY BUSINESS” which looks at the reactions of 2 actual clean-up workers to the fictional representation of their profession in the film. Both Emily Blunt and Amy Adams make brief interview appearances here, but I personally could have done with a longer “Making-of…” documentary. The commentary by writer Megan Holley and producer Glenn Williamson is not without value but it lacks the kind of insights that would make one look at the film afresh, instead the discussion mainly focuses on the experiences of the film crew at the Albuquerque locations and of various drafts undergoing rewrites.

Nevertheless, SUNSHINE CLEANING is well worth a punt, especially if you’re looking for US cinema with a brain that’s a bit left-field whilst still managing to be warm and strangely inspiring.

Fantastic Movie!! – David Foughty –
Just saw the film. I thought I might be let down as I’ve been waiting with anticipation since I saw the trailer on youtube. I can say that not only was I not let down by this film, but that it superseded them in the most refreshing way possible. There was something I noticed about the movie. It had great comical moments, but it was not the funniest film ever. It had great acting, writing, and was filmed beautifully…and yet I’m sure that it is probably not the best film ever. What I loved about it though was that it was NOT like most films of late that try so hard to be the best film ever. You know the ones with the fancy film work and the melodrama…the lines written that are asking for an Oscar. Sometimes those just irritate me because they are trying so hard to be a great film and they forget to tell a great story. The film makers didn’t forget that here. I was not distracted by anything. Everything came together in this film that I felt like I knew the people and I wanted to know what happened to them. I liked it because it reminded me that we’re all human. I love it!!

Sunshine Cleaning – LHB –
This an execllent video. Especially if you like Amy Adams. Not great, but very good and well worth purchasing.

Meh independent film – One-Line Film Reviews – Easton, MD
The Bottom Line:

Wearing its “quirky” heart on its sleeve and making no real secret of its debt to the other recent “sunshine” movie, Sunshine Cleaning features two talented and attractive young actresses in starring roles and a relatively quick pace but has little else to recommend it; it may have good intentions, but it’s not a good movie.

2.5/4