Sunshine Cleaning (Blu-ray)

Amy Adams and Emily Blunt team up to prove their indie credentials in Sunshine Cleaning. They play sisters, one of whom, Rose (Adams), is responsible single mum who’s trapped in a job as a maid and missing the promise she showed as popular high school cheerleader, while the other, Norah (Blunt), is slightly more reckless and can’t hold down a job. When her married lover (Steve Zahn) tips Rose off about the lucrative business of cleaning up crime scenes, she and Rose set up a business to deal with the aftermath of violence, even though they have no idea about the rules and regulations.

However, while cleaning crime scenes makes a lot of money, it brings Rose and Norah into contact with people who’ve just suffered terrible tragedies and also resurrects buried feeling about what happened to them in the past.

While there’s nothing particularly remarkable about the film, it’s a charming little indie movie, helped enormously by good performances from Blunt and Adams, as well as Alan Arkin as their father. It might have helped if the filmmakers had concentrated more on the character study than ticking off the indie checklist and trying to make it seem like films such as Little Miss Sunshine, but even so it’s well observed and occasionally quite moving.

This Blu-ray features a fairly sharp picture, with only occasional grain and pretty good detail. You don’t get the bright colours of many HD releases, but that’s largely because the film employs the subdued tone and more natural lighting that’s popular in indie pics, and so it’s therefore meant to look a little washed out, but the HD picture certainly shows off this aesthetic. It’s definitely a step up from the DVD and looks pretty good, even if it’s not the sort of film where the hi-def upgrade will make much difference to your enjoyment of the film.

The same is true of the audio, which is nice and crisp, but fairly low key. You also get the same small set of features as you do on the DVD, including a rather dull commentary from the writer and producer, who seem more convinced of the film’s genius than many viewers will, and a featurette about two real female crime scene cleaners. This is really worth a look, as it compares what the film gets right and what it doesn’t, and gives a fairly interesting look at the realities of the subject the film deals with. However that’s your lot, so there’s not a huge amount to enjoy beyond the film.

If you’re an HD nut, this is the version to go for, but to be honest, with its low-key indie sensibility and the fact the film is good without being great, you’re probably just as well off with the DVD.

Overall Verdict: A decent comedy drama with some good performances, but in its desire achieve indie street cred, it not quite the film is could have been.

Special Features:
‘Sunshine Cleaning: A Fresh Look At A Dirty Business’ Featurette
Audio Commentary With Writer Megan Holley and Producer Glenn Williamson
Trailer

Reviewer: Tim Isaac