Cleaning House

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.