Sunshine Cleaning

"Director Christine Jeffs, who previously helmed "Rain" and "Sylvia," tries to strike a balance between the yarn's dark currents and offbeat comedy, but the result is often uneasy, with the humor receding as things progress."

"Sunshine Cleaning gets an A for Amy Adams. Injecting some heartfelt, three-dimensional zest into the wispy, two-dimensional story, she spares this copycat indie’s blushes and scores a winning combo with Blunt."

"All in all, it's a mess, and much as Ms. Blunt pouts, Ms. Adams twinkles, and Mr. Arkin growls, there's nothing they can do to clean it up."

"The material might have promise as a black comedy, but its attempt to put on a smiling face is unconvincing."

"With Arkin's cantankerous fatherly presence casting a shadow over proceedings, it's a cinematic crime to let Sunshine Cleaning languish in unsatisfactory-ending land, but that is precisely what happens."

"Amy Adams and Emily Blunt are a winning combination, taking commercial cleaning to a whole new level."

"A smartly done morality tale that couldn't be more in sync with these troubled times."

"Amy Adams and Emily Blunt are two highly attractive, naturally funny actresses on the cusp of stardom so their pairing here as two lost souls is genius."

"Could have been a little more darkly comic in places but the performances are superb."

"Kiwi director Christine Jeffs (Rain, Sylvia) has crafted a film that is touching, original and, yes, funny."