Cleaning House

I saw Cleaning House at its premiere at the 2011 Lancaster Area Film Festival, and I must say I was impressed. The film was well shot, and the acting was solid and believable. Amanda Collins, who plays the daughter, nailed the awkwardness of dealing with a mother she obviously resents and hasn't spent a lot of time with lately. Karin Trachtenberg, who plays the mother, did a fantastic job channeling that overbearing mother figure that's got issues of her own.

Like I said, the film was well shot. The setting of the mother's house was appropriate, and the emptiness of the house seemed to mirror the gap in their relationship. The editing was also good; at no point in the nearly fifteen minutes did I ever feel it was dragging.

Overall I really enjoyed the film. I have to admit that I didn't see the ending coming, and I liked how I was surprised by it. The final scenes with the mother felt really genuine…and hats off to Karin Trachtenberg for pulling it off. Cleaning House simply and beautifully presents a genuine vignette of a family in turmoil. If you ever have the opportunity to see this film at a film festival, I highly recommend it.

Another moving, perfectly shot drama about a mother and daughter who come together after the grandmother's funeral to settle their differences. The performances are pitch perfect. During a 5 minute monologue in which one the characters reveals harsh information about her past, Giarusso makes a gutsy decision and it pay off in spades. The camera stays static in a two shot, enabling the actor the opportunity to connect the audience to her story. No flashbacks, no cutaways, etc. Giarusso clearly trusts her actor to tell the story and it makes the moment all the more memorable because not only does the audience believe the performances, but he/she also feels that the director respects the viewers's sensitivity.