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Sunshine Cleaning [Blu-ray]
(Christine Jeffs, 2008)
Review by Gary Tooze
Production: Theatrical: Back Lot Pictures Video: Overture Films / Anchor Bay
Disc: Region: 'A'-locked (as verified by the Momitsu region FREE Blu-ray player) Runtime: 1:31:17.472 Disc Size: 29,939,369,558 bytes Feature Size: 24,680,448,000 bytes Video Bitrate: 29.380 Mbps Chapters: 12 Case: Standard Blu-ray case Release date: August 25th, 2009
Video: Aspect ratio: 2.35:1 Resolution: 1080p Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Audio: Dolby TrueHD Audio English 3043 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 3043 kbps / 24-bit (AC3 Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps) Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / Dolby Surround Dolby Digital Audio Spanish 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps
Subtitles: English (SDH), Spanish, none
Extras: • Commentary by writer Megan Holley and Producer Glenn Williamson • A Fresh Look at a Dirty Business 11:17 in HD• Trailer for the film and PreviewsBD-Live capable
Bitrate:
Description: Once the high school cheerleading captain who dated the quarterback, Rose Lorkowski now finds herself a thirty something single mother working as a maid. Her sister Norah is still living at home with their dad Joe, a salesman with a lifelong history of ill-fated get rich quick schemes. Desperate to get her son into a better school, Rose persuades Norah to go into the crime scene clean-up business with her to make some quick cash. In no time, the girls are up to their elbows in murders, suicides and other...specialized situations. As they climb the ranks in a very dirty job, the sisters find a true respect for one another and the closeness they have always craved finally blossoms. By building their own improbable business, Rose and Norah open the door to the joys and challenges of being there for one another -- no matter what -- while creating a brighter future for the entire Lorkowski family.
The Film: Amy Adams is a hugely likeable actress and she's on typically superb form as Rose, lacing her usual adorable sweetness with a slightly tougher edge that's constantly surprising. She's equally matched by Emily Blunt (delivering another note-perfect American accent), who somehow manages to be both frustrating and sympathetic as Norah; she also has an intriguing streak of unpredictability, so you're never quite sure what she's going to do or say next. In addition, Adams and Blunt have strong sibling chemistry that's entirely believable and forms the emotional heart of the film. There's also great support from Rajskub, while Arkin essentially reprises his grouchy granddad routine from Little Miss Sunshine and Collins Jr and Zahn offer welcome variations on the usual love interest roles. Excerpt from Matthew Turner at ViewLondon located HERE
I was impressed by the image quality of Sunshine Cleaning on Blu-ray. It's dual-layered with a high bitrate and the image is very tight and exhibits some positive depth. Close-ups showcase the strong detail and colors are in passive hues. The visuals subtly show off the film's deft contrast and overall I had no complaints with the way this looked in 1080P. It's far in advance of what I was expecting (as was the film itself). Neither noise nor grain was overly apparent. I highly doubt anyone will be disappointed in the way this looks on Blu-ray. Expectantly, the 2.35:1 image is perfectly clean.
CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
Audio :The Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track at 3043 kbps can easily handle what this film has to dish out. Sunshine Cleaning is pretty passive on the audio front. There are no notable moments in the film that require strong separation aside from the first 2-minutes. Even Michael Penn's score is appropriately subtle. Dialogue is crisp and clean and there are optional English or Spanish subtitles and m y Momitsu has identified it as being a region 'A'-locked.
Extras :The commentarists, writer Megan Holley and Producer Glenn Williamson, sound a bit shy. They are a fairly monotone and on the quiet side but they supply good information - as knowledgeable as one might expect the director to impart. Williamson talks about production, shooting locations and casting and Holley discusses the intricacies of the story. I really like the film so I also got something out of the commentary. There is an 11-minute HD featurette filler about the occupation in the film but it's kind of uninteresting. There is a trailer for the film and some previews.
BOTTOM LINE: Gary Tooze August 14th, 2009
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About the Reviewer: Hello, fellow Beavers! I have been interested in film since I viewed a Chaplin festival on PBS when I was around 9 years old. I credit DVD with expanding my horizons to fill an almost ravenous desire to seek out new film experiences. I currently own approximately 7500 DVDs and have reviewed over 3000 myself. I appreciate my discussion Listserv for furthering my film education and inspiring me to continue running DVDBeaver. Plus a healthy thanks to those who donate and use our Amazon links.
Although I never wanted to become one of those guys who
focused 'too much' on image and sound quality - I
find HD is swiftly pushing me in that direction. So be
it, but film will always be my first love and I list my
favorites on the old YMdb site now accessible
HERE.
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