Directed by Christine Jeffs
Written by Megan Holley
Starring Amy Adams, Emily Blunt, and Alan Arkin
From the creators who brought you "Little Miss Sunshine" comes a story about two sisters who start a bio-hazard cleanup buisness. Rose, played by Amy Adams, starts off the movie as a maid for a cleanup service. She is embarassed when she finds herself cleaning the house of a former highschool cheerleading pal and is asked the dreaded question of what she's been up to all these years? If this doesn't make for a bad day, Rose is then called to come down to her son Oscar's school for his out of the ordinary behavior. After the days events she decides she needs to put her life on track by finding a new, more profitable career in order to send Oscar to a private school. She does this with the help of Mac, her former highschool sweetheart, who is currently having an affair with Rose. Mac, who is on the police force proposes the idea to Rose about cleaning up after murder scenes.
Rose enlists her sister Norah, who is a unique, free spirited, stoner who still lives at home with their father. Norah is fired from her job as a waitress so agrees to take on this new opportunity. During the movie we see both sisters go through the ups and downs of the bio-hazard buisness. They meet a corky, one armed clerk at the supply store and learn the ropes of the buisness through him. Throughout the film Norah becomes curious about photos of a daughter left from a woman who had passed at one of their cleanup sites. Instead of throwing the pictures out she goes on her own journey to find the daughter who is now a grown woman herself. Norah tracks the woman down, but doesn't reveal her motives to the woman until the end.
Throughout the film we see both sisters and their own unique struggles. Rose is faced with the reality that Mac will never leave his wife for her and that her life didn't pan out the way she envisioned. We begin to find out that the two sisters are hiding a secret from the audience. Norah in paticular begins to show her emotions and we begin to understand why she is the way she is.
In the end Norah reveals her real motives towards the woman she's become friends with. We also learn about the dark secret that haunt both the sisters that involve their mother's death. We also see their buisness fail due to one night of Norah taking a job on by herself because Rose wanted to go to a baby shower to impress her old highschool friends. She finds herself instead being okay with her new life and doesn't need their approval after all. After all the turmoil, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
This film has a strong story which is played out beautifully by Amy Adams and Emily Blunt. Alan Arkin also does a great job of playing the father/grandfather. The film has a character that everyone can relate to with all age ranges. We see 3 different generations and their pitfalls and mistakes, which make them human and loveable. There is humor mixed in with raw emotion.
I would rate this movie 3 out of 4 stars.
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