Movie Review: Changeling

Changeling

Ever since he swept the Oscars with Unforgiven in the 90's, Clint Eastwood has been considered the director to beat by many critics and audiences alike. I loved Mystic River, and wasn't a fan of Million Dollar Baby, however I do have the upmost respect for Clint's directorial skills. Imagine my excitment when I found out about a year ago that his newest project would be directing Angelina Jolie in the starring role in a dramatic thriller. Whew! I have been waiting with anticipation for months for the release of Changeling and now finally it is here. Nicholas and I went downtown for the day to catch a sneak premiere of the movie before it opens wide this weekend.

Changeling is based on a factual true story. Yes, this actually happened. The story alone makes a great film. I don't know how many times I leaned over and whispered to Nicholas: "I cannot believe this happened!" I don't want to give away the entire plot of Changeling (because thankfully the trailer, which seemed to give away a lot, just gives a nice setting of what is a very epic story), however the story revolves around Christine Collins (Jolie) who is a single mother and supervisor at the telephone company. We are introduced to Christine and her only child Water, and then as you know, Walter goes missing. The rest of the film you are slowly dumped into disaster as you find out what truly may have happened to Walter, and as you witness firsthand the corruption of the LAPD. The police department under scrutiny want desperately to have a positive story that makes them look worthwhile. Enter the Collins story. The police tell the devestated mother that they have in fact found her son and will reunite the happy couple. However (as you probably know), the little boy is a stranger to Christine, he is not her son. What follows is a two-part story of how far the cops will go to make themselves look like hero's (even if it means destroying an innocent womans life), and the dark truth behind the dissapearance of Walter.

The movie is a showcase for Jolie, however some fine actors turn in amazing supporting performances. First and foremost is John Malkovitch as Rev. Gustav Briegleb. The reverand has a radio evangelical broadcast which he also uses to shine light on the corruption of the cops, and the Collins case is his shot at bringing them down. Then we have Jeffery Donovan as Deputy JJ Jones, the obvious villan. As he tries to paint Christine as an insane woman you certainly will want a piano to land on his head. Amy Ryan (who is an award winning theatre actress and recieved critical acclaims last year for her role in Gone Baby Gone) is also fantastic as Carol Dexter, another "insane" woman the cops threw into the looney bin. The supporting standout is Jason Butler Harner as Gordon Northcott. To save the film from spoilerism, I will not tell you about his character -- however I will tell you that he nails it. Its a fine cast of amazing actors that Clint has to work with. But the movie lives and breathes with its star, Angelina Jolie.

I have been a Jolie fan from day 1. I first saw her in "Gia", an HBO movie for which she won 1 of her 3 consecutive golden globes 3 years in a row (George Wallace, best supp. actress tv movie, Gia best actress in tv movie, and Girl Interrupted best actress). Of course then she went on to win an Oscar for Girl Interrupted, and now she remains one of the most (if not THE most) famous women in the world. I think a lot of people count out Angelina Jolie. Shall we count the reasons? (a) She married Billy Bob Thornton (b) She wore a vial of blood around her neck (c) She collected knives (d) She kissed her brother on Oscar night (e) She used to date a woman (f) She may have broken Jennifer Annistons heart (g) She has also starred in many "fluff" action films (Tomb Raider Series, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Wanted) (h) She is part of the most talked about tabloid couple in history (i) She is constantly described as too pretty or too sexy (j) She has 40 kids .. etc etc. I think all of this is craziness and should have nothing to do with her acting career. I will stand behind my statement that Angelina Jolie is one of the finest actresses of my lifetime. She has had her bumps in the road, just like anyone else (Alexander anyone?), but she shines brighter than most anyone on that big screen I love to visit. Just last year she turned in what may have been her finest performance to date as Marianne Pearl in "A Mighty Heart". Well she has topped that .. in a big way. As Christine Collins, Angelina Jolie has not only turned in her best performance, but perhaps one of the best performances in the last 10 years. As a mother I am sure she could deeply connect to the role, and it shows. She is stoic, silent, strong, calculated, expressive, angry, desperate, and triumphant all with a blink of her eye. I predict we will be hearing her name come Ocsar time, at least for a nomination if not for the win. Yes, she's that good.

Of course the direction is superb, the cinematography and lighting are award worthy, but the film is all Angelina's. And the film is amazing. Do yourself a favor and go see "Changeling" immediately.

***** out of *****