A Very Enjoyable Film!

Rating: 8/10 (31 August 2009)

I was pleasantly surprised with this movie. I expected it to be cliché and dull, and Angelina Jolie to be completely out of place. Boy, was I wrong.
The film's story is its strongest point. It is based on a true story (always a plus for the makers and the audience) and never do we forget that through the movie- there aren't any cheap Hollywood aspects that would make The Changeling unrealistic. I felt that the direction did somewhat lack creativity (i.e. I expected a bit better from Eastwood) and the storytelling did consist of pretty ordinary and unremarkable flashbacks. Overall, however, it is very enjoyable to watch and the story-telling is very coherent.
The acting was another pleasant surprise. It was hard for me to imagine Angelina Jolie as a grief-stricken mother in the 1920s, but she nailed the role and proved her worth as one of the best actresses around today. And there are not many big stars who can play a character so far from their Hollywood image. The rest of the cast was very good as well- particularly John Malkovich and Michelle Gunn. The characters were deep and never boring.
One complaint I have is the depiction of the time period it was set in- some of the dialogue just took me out of the '20s/'30s and I never really felt like the movie took place in that decade.
However, any complaints I have are minor compared to how well-acted and written it is. I recommend this film to any film-lover (and anybody who thinks Jolie is not a talented actress). Consider my score an 8.5/10