Sunshine Cleaning/Headscratchers


 * It seems like the movie doesn't really end. It builds up a plot and characters and so forth, but the whole romantic subplot thing fizzles out. There's the main character's chemistry with the one-armed dude, then nothing happens. There's the sister's chemistry with the lesbian, and nothing happens there. (For those unfamiliar with what I'm referring to, there's a scene that features the sister, Nora, finding herself on the business end of the other woman's romantic aspirations, leaving her a bit breathless and visibly confused; a scene follows with her having sex with a guy and looking fairly bored, and then... nothing.)
 * I guess this is a matter of Your Mileage May Vary. The message I got from the movie is that, just like in real life, things don't really end. Life is a process of learning, growing, and exploring. The main characters had difficulties in their lives, persevered through them, and became better people as a result. After that, it's off to new challenges and experiences. I actually liked how the shop owner and the main character didn't become a couple. For them, their relationship is just beginning, and I appreciated the subversion of the cliche that everybody has to "partner up" at the end of the movie. Leaving it open just shows that their lives have endless possibilities for the future.