'Changeling' Review- Angelina Jolie Shines In This Thriller
The film came out in 2008
Clint Eastwood directed Changeling, a masterpiece of a biopic released in 2008. It tells the true story of Christine Collins whose boy went missing and whose disappearance may be connected to the Wineville Chicken Coop Murders.
Taking place in 1928, Christine Collins (Angelina Jolie ) is a loving mother who takes care of her son Walter (Gattlin Griffith). He vanishes one night and though she reports it, the Los Angeles police department ignores her. However, a radio preacher named Reverend Gustav Briegleb (John Malkovich) rails against the LAPD for their corruption and negligence. After taking his disappearance seriously, Chief James E. Davis (Colm Feore) and Captain J. J. Jones (Jeffrey Donovan) return a boy to Mrs. Collins. It is a boy, but not her Walter. When she tries to confront the police about the imposter, they at first ignore her. Later, they imprison her on false pretenses in an insane asylum.
Clint Eastwood is a master storyteller. It is riveting from beginning to end. It exposes how corrupt the system was back in the day. The production value is incredible and the way it moves is truly in sync with the emotions the scenes invoke. He definitely did an amazing job of bringing this story to light.
As for the performances, Jolie, Malkovich, and Donovan are all at the top of their game. Malkovich is a force of nature when it comes to portraying Gustav. He steps into the role like he was preparing for it his whole life. Donovan as the corrupt LAPD Captain truly captures the character. You feel his presence every time he is on screen, from trying to charm the press to his sinister side appearing when he wants to appear threatening.
Jolie deserves her own paragraph. She is mesmerizing and her talent portraying Collins is fantastic. You are stunned by what happens to her as she goes through the plot. I applaud her work and she should have won the Academy Award she was nominated for in this movie.
Besides the movie’s plot, Eastwood does a good job with the themes. He weaves a tale of how power can corrupt and how it hurts the weak. Not to mention how when you become ungovernable, you can fight back against that corrupting power. In this case, all it took was the love of a mother to expose the corruption and the horror of powerful people. With all this in mind, I had to admit, I was surprised this movie did not make a bigger stir when it was released. It is so compelling.
Bottom line, The Changeling is a moving true story about a mother who is searching for a son in the midst of a corrupt system that is holding her back.
FAVORITE QUOTE: I just stayed away.
PARENTAL CONCERNS: Foul language, disturbing content
Check out the trailer below:
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