Sunshine Cleaning - Blood Clots & Family Ties
These two female actors have contributed a lot to cinema in their reasonably short careers and this picture showcases their range and alludes to greater things to come.
Rose is a single mother, struggling to cope with raising her "challenging" young son. Whilst working as a maid, studying for her real estate license and sleeping with a police detective (Steve Zahn),Rose is introduced to the world of crime scene cleaning, with the promise of generous rewards. Norah, her waitress sister who still lives at home with their dad
(Arkin) is persuaded to join the crime scene business on the promise of generous rewards.
The unsung stars here are Rose’s son Oscar ( played by Jason Spevack)and Winston (Clifton Collins Jr.)the man at the cleaning goods store, who share their own little outsider existence as he acts as a positive influence in the boys life with no father to speak of.
Mary Lynn Rajskub (24) plays her usual coy character to great effect here
weaving her own magic on a sub-plot in the story.
Arkin is not given much scope to shine here, and it us evident that it isn't his story to tell. His years of experience don't seem wasted though and the comparatively young cast would do well to learn a few tips from his extensive playbook.
The uncomfortable tension between sisters, still coming to terms with the loss of their mother, and the struggles of everyday life on middle-class society aren’t something that you would generally laugh at, but good humour is found in the nuances of these characters. Blood is thicker than water, and when you try and clean it up, you learn just how much it matters.
4/5
