The police finding the wrong boy and insists that it is someone's son…mistakes like this don't happen, do they? Well, apparently they did in Los Angeles back in 1928 and this fact is actually very disquieting. "Changeling" is a film based on the experiences of a woman named Christine Collins and on the murders of a small town outside L.A. called "Wineville". Co-produced by Clint Eastwood and written by one of my favorite writers, J. Michael Straczynski (Babylon 5, Midnight Nation, Thor), the film is a powerful piece of filmmaking. I've always had a fondness for Eastwood films and this film further cements the reasons why.
Los Angeles, 1928. When single mother Christine Collins (Angelina Jolie) comes home from work, she finds that her son, Walter (Gatlin Griffith) has vanished without a trace. Five months later, the LAPD reunite mother and son; but the problem is, the boy is not her son. Her pleas are ignored by Capt. J.J. Jones (Jeffrey Donovan, Burn Notice) and dismissed as a mother's unreasonable ravings. Driven by one woman's relentless quest for the truth, and aided by Rev. Briegleb (John Malcovich), the case exposes a world of corruption, captivates the public and changes Los Angeles forever.
The questions you have to ask yourself when you see the first half of the film is why is this boy claiming to be Walter Collins? There is no doubt that Christine is of sound mind and no one would know her son better than a mother would. While the film's main premise is simple, it manages to stick to its high points and manages to grip the audience through emotion. This film would be more appreciated by mothers, as it does tackle one woman's stand against the injustice being done her. The screenplay also manages to pull a few surprises, as the subplot with another boy who is an illegal immigrant from Canada gives doses of dark, very disturbingly real undertones. The movie is divided into two parts in three acts, the experiences of Christine Collins and the investigations of the Wineville murders. (this small town had changed its name after this incident) The second half nicely blends in with the film's overall premise which is blackmail, corruption, and the abuse by authority figures.
I've read somewhere that a melodrama is a film that revolves around its characters and I believe this strongly. "Changeling" is a melodrama, of this there is no doubt and much of the film's burden falls on Angelina Jolie. Jolie gives a very superb performance, she isn't loud or overly dramatic, she performs with such emotional finesse that when you look into her eyes, you can feel her pain. She rightfully deserved to be nominated for this film. John Malcovich exudes that familiar character and intensity--he seems obnoxious at times but his character overflows with righteousness. Malcovich was very strong and firm in his performance. Jeffrey Donovan plays the cop who is the root of Collins' troubles, Capt. Jones represents the arrogance and responsibilities of this corrupt police force. However, there is one conscientious cop in the persona of Detective Ybarra who is played by Michael Kelly. Despite his limited screen time, Kelly's character was in a good number of key moments in the film; for example, the interrogation scene between Kelly and amazingly good young actor Eddie Alderson is one of the film‘s key dramatic moments. As soon as you think the film is done with its surprises, Jason Butler Harner threatened to steal the show as one of the most disquietingly creepy performances since Hannibal Lecter.
Acting aside, which proved to be the film's greatest strength, the film's cinematography is also definitely noteworthy. One could easily ignore the scenery amid all the tearful moments and hysterics thrown into the screenplay, but the period costumes, set designs, and camerawork do deserve some credit. Eastwood keeps the camerawork tight and precise, but he manages to make use of the widescreen frame to fully utilize each scenario to convey the actual mood by using close ups, simple camera pans and perspective. Eastwood and Jolie work real well together, after all, Jolie is such a beauteous actress to shoot in close ups. Jolie looks great and she felt very comfortable with her role, unquestionably one of her best performances.
The only fault that I could find in the film is that the courtroom and trial sequences felt a little rushed, that maybe they could have been done a little better, but I also think that maybe it was a way to maintain focus on Christine Collins and its tone. The emotional high points do reach an all time high in a number of key scenes, (especially the scenes in the final moments of the 2nd act) and the resolutions and expositions in the last act may also prove a little too overlong to some.
Eastwood's films are never visually flashy, he keeps them straight-forward to emulate reality by avoiding elaborate camera trickery. In sticking to his old-school mechanics, Eastwood manages to maintain the focus on his characters. Clint Eastwood is among my favorite directors and working with Straczynski, they have presented a gut-wrenching, gripping, experience that can be compared to "L.A. Confidential". Eastwood fulfills his promise as a filmmaker with grace and finesse; too bad he is still a little underappreciated. This should change.
Highly Recommended! [4 ½ Stars]
