In cinemas Thursday June 11 [M]

Director: Christine Jeffs

Runtime: 91 mins

It seems, these days, that a lot of American indie films take after either Garden State or Little Miss Sunshine; the first type turn inwards, focussing on the unfulfilled lives of depressed suburban losers, while the second substitute twee, self-conscious quirkiness for real feelings and emotions. I was worried that Sunshine Cleaning, a big hit at last year’s Sundance festival, was going to fall somewhere between these two points, but these worries turned out to be unfounded.

The film tells the story of Rose Lorkowski (Amy Adams), a cheerleader whose glory days are well behind her; after learning that that there’s serious money to be made cleaning up crime scenes, she takes the initiative, throws in her dead-end job and goes into business for herself. In need of someone to help out with this gross undertaking, she enlists her younger sister Norah (Emily Blunt), a lost cause who cakes herself in eyeliner and sleeps until midday. Rose’s father Joe (Alan Arkin) is a constant, hovering presence, with big plans of his own; when her son Oscar (Jason Spevack) is kicked out of school, Joe takes the kid under his wing, and discovers that he also has a strong entrepreneurial streak. On the face of it, these characters are all stock movie stereotypes, but the film gives them enough redeeming qualities that it’s a pleasure to spend time with them.

Sunshine Cleaning doesn’t shy away from the unpleasant side of Rose’s job – in the early parts of the movie, some of the situations she and Norah find themselves in are actually a little stomach churning – but the plot’s various diversions are satisfying and engaging. Amy Adams, with her big eyes and quiet intensity, is turning into one of the best actresses of her generation – from the small-scale Junebug to the Disney epic Enchanted, she has held her own, and this is another fine performance for her. Rose frequently hooks up with her married lover, her former high school sweetheart Mac (Steve Zahn), and while most actresses would try and wring the pathos out of these scenes, Adams avoids the drama, finding the strength and dignity within her character. Emily Blunt, likewise, brings out brings the character of Norah to life; she may be a loser, but she doesn’t wallow in her own unhappiness, and you find yourself genuinely wanting her to do better.

Moving yet unsentimental, with a good script and a strong cast, Sunshine Cleaning is a cut above the usual indie fare.

***½

ALASDAIR DUNCAN