One Saturday in prohibition-era Los Angeles, a woman's nine-year-old son is kidnapped. Months later, amidst a tsunami of press interest, the cops triumphantly bring her a boy they claim is her missing child. But it's not really him. In trying to uncover the truth of what's going on, the woman is ridiculed, labelled as delusional and thrown into an asylum. Only a local crusading pastor is willing to help her fight to expose the LAPD's lies and corruption.
It's another tumultuous Oscar-botherer from director Clint Eastwood, with Angelina Jolie unleashing the tears as Christine Collins, the vilified mom in search of her boy, and John Malkovich as her ally Reverend Briegleb. Shockingly enough, it's a true story.
I apologise, we feel bad, but there's no trailer available. ~Ed.
Hot on the heels of Gran Torino comes another Clint Eastwood creation – only this time he stays behind the camera. Changeling is both an ode to the maternal bond and a vehicle for Angelina Jolie’s star power and acting chops.
Jolie plays estranged mother Christine Collins, and her unmistakably powerful central performance carries the film – the whole thing is clearly designed with this in mind. She works a modern, natural acting style that contrasts the stagey, old-fashioned techniques of the supporting cast, nicely communicating the idea of a powerless individual fighting the agents of a heartless institution. Allied with Eastwood’s classically restrained direction, it’s a compelling first hour or so of cinema. You want to see Collins vindicated, and those opposing her punished for their callous actions. Unfortunately, the story then strays from its dystopian nightmare path into a plodding police drama. Resulting scenes milk every last drop of sympathy for Collins while the narrative screeches to a halt, rendering them superfluous, almost gratuitous, and the film starts to feel longer than it is.
Had the importance of the admittedly impressive visual aspect carried over to the script, Changeling would’ve likely received a few more Oscar nominations, and you can’t help but suspect that was the point of the movie all along. As it is, there are fantastic parts to this, but the whole isn’t totally fulfilling.
By Andreas Heinemann, Flicks.co.nz
Really well told story of amazing proportions. Changling would be 5 stars if we had seen more of the awesome john malkovich and less of stereotype steve (the psychopath)
This time I have a disagreement with the Flicks reviewer. For me the time flew, the "plodding police dramas" was not that but in fact set and reinforced the desire to see the some right come out of the wrong. Worth at least a 4.
First of all, Angelina always brings 110% to her roles. The plot seems both mysterious and thrilling. Looking forward to it.
Jolie, Malkovich and Geoff Pierson, as a lawyer who takes Collins' case before the Police Board, are very good at what they do very well. The film's most riveting performance is by Jason Butler Harner as the murderous Gordon Northcott.
A compelling, adult period thriller, with an Oscar-assured performance from Angelina Jolie.
Changeling is an almost universally impressive all-around effort, and is the best "dirty underbelly of Los Angeles" movie since "L.A. Confidential."
In Changeling Eastwood continues to probe uncomfortable subjects to depict the individual and even existential struggle to do what is right.
In other hands, these clashes of good and evil might have seemed ordinary, but Eastwood makes Changeling a hard story to shake off. To see this film is to understand both how fragile and how essential our hopes for decency and truth are in a world that must be made to care about either one.
We've been told the NZ release date for this flick is Thursday, 12th Feb 2009.
Release date: February 12th 2009.
We haven't received times for this movie in this location yet. However these are updated as cinemas announce them, so check back soon. Hopefully the lovely cinemas in your location will choose to play it shortly. ~Ed.
