Delayed Reaction: Sunshine Cleaning

The Pitch: Two troubled sisters start a crime scene cleanup business.

How I Came Into It: Amy Adams AND Emily Blunt. That's a pairing I can't resist. Any casual examination of this blog would tell you that my movie selections can be more than a little driven by my numerous celebrity crushes. And this movie has two of them!

Why I Saw It: It's not like Adams and Blunt are just pretty faces. I like seeing them in movies because they are good at what they do. So, no surprise, they are both strong in this. Their characters could really rub me the wrong way with actresses who are any less talented. Adams and Blunt add nuance which isn't there otherwise. And their rapport with one another is great.

Why I Wish I Hadn't: My normal complaint with indie movies is that they normally feel like short stories, not novels. They are often snapshots rather than portraits. Sunshine Cleaning isn't quite that. If anything, there's too much. There's the cleaning, Adams and the married man, Blunt and Mary Lynn Rajskub, Adams and the one-armed man, Alan Arkin and the failed businesses, the kid's behavioral issues, the radio to the heavens, and the mom's movie. Only some of that landed.

Verdict (?): Weakly Recommend