07/22/2013 02:16

3/4 Stars

Excellent Performances, Touching, but Thin Storyline

    I'm going be honest on this one. My main reason for seeing this was Amy Adams. I've really liked her since Battle of the Smithsonian 2, and then even more since The Fighter. And let me tell you, she is fantastic in this one. She manages to be lovable, yet not, at the same time, once you see how her life is. A shout out to Emily Blunt, who pulls off a depressed/dark/troubled character perfectly. Here's a little rundown of the story:

    Rose's (Amy Adams) life is not the best. She is single mom, with a job as maid. She is barely making it by. Also, she is having an affair with a married man (Steve Zahn) who was her high school lover. She also has a troubled sister Nora (Emily Blunt) who still is in contact with her from time to time. Rose also depends on her and Nora's father (Alan Arkin) who watches her kid a lot. One day, while Rose's lover (a cop) is called over to investigate a suicide, tells her about how much the people who clean up the mess after a death, make a lot of money. She becomes interested, and recruits her sister to join her. They eventually start doing it more and more, and create a business out of it. Throughout the movie they have to come to terms with their lives, their mother's death, and finding true happiness.

    I'm going to be honest again, if you're looking for a super complex and extremely engaging story, this isn't it. The film's purpose was not to survive on its story, but its messages and emotion. That it did, very well I might add. It's almost like a book you would read in an English class. Its plot is not that entertaining, however it's sense of emotion and empathy are extremely well developed, and you actually find good messages about life. So, with that in mind, it is very much worth seeing.