The topic of illegal immigration from Mexico can be a pretty heated one at times. But if you put politics aside, it’s hard to deny the intrinsic hope and optimism that is often lost in the debate – that these people are simply striving and struggling for a better life. And by “these people,” I’m not just talking about immigrants directly from Mexico, but also those that come from deeper parts of Central America. When newcomer director Cary Fukunaga worked on his short film Victoria para chino in 2004, he learned that for many immigrants, crossing the border into the United States was in a lot of ways the least of their worries.
Back in 2007, Samuel L. Jackson starred in a movie called Cleaner, where he played the owner of a business that tidied up the biological mess of crime scenes. He was duped into helping cover up a murder, which kicked into gear the active and interesting plot. While Sunshine Cleaning leverages that same odd-but-curious career track, it’s an altogether different film. Not nearly as bright and fresh as the title would leave you to believe, Sunshine Cleaning is an overcast and melancholy film. Despite its grey tones, the film contains a spectrum of color thanks to the performances of Amy Adams, Emily Blunt and Alan Arkin.The plot is largely flat and humble, and shows a disjointed family simply trying to get by, together. It’s accessible material, to be sure, and portrayed in the most artful of ways, but some may still find Sunshine Cleaning too overly dramatic and dreary a stroll.
It’s springtime again — season of love, hope, budding bromance. That’s no typo, gang — bromance is the new romance. It’s all about the dude love, the hetero bonding of two guys, the (platonic) man-on-man action. A ”bro” is more than just a poker buddy, he’s the wing-man who’s always ready to ‘’suit up” and will be there for you when the chips are down. I Love You, Man pays homage to this strong yet often unspoken, and completely not-gay, connection between guys.
Poor Peter (Paul Rudd) has been flying solo for his entire life. He’s that sensitive, sweet guy who is more likely to curl up on the couch with his girlfriend and watch The Devil Wears Prada (his choice) than go out carousing with the guys (mainly because he wasn’t invited). So now that he’s met his dream woman (The Office’s Rashida Jones), who is going to stand up for him at his wedding?
