Cements Eastwood As Top Director

Rating: 9/10 (11 March 2017)

For the past 5-10 years, I have enjoyed watching the supreme acting talents of Clint Eastwood in films such as Bloodwork, Million Dollar Baby, and (most recently) Gran Torino. This film, however, also cements Eastwood as not only a top actor, but also a spectacular director.
The plot of the film centers on the story of Christine Collins (Angelina Jolie), who after having her son Walter go missing for a few months is reunited...with the wrong boy. However, in order to save themselves some bad publicity, the Los Angeles Police Department insists that the boy IS indeed her son and, once drawn into the lie, will do whatever it takes (including institutionalizing Collins) to make sure that the truth about her case is never known. At the same time as Collins' story is playing out, the real abductor of her son, Gordon Northcott, is being investigated for the brutal murder of perhaps as many as 20 young boys, of which Walter may or may not be one of.
Like most of Eastwood's more recent films, this movie resonates with the audience in multiple ways. While watching, you will sympathize with Christine Collins over the screw-job she is getting from the LAPD, while also be horrified at the Northcott case not only because of what he did, but because he was allowed to keep doing so while the LAPD were trying to save face. Of course, you never know how much "creative license" (think Denzel Washington's portrayal of Rubin "Hurricane" Carter as a complete innocent) a director takes within a film, but in this case I trust the judgment of Eastwood. Plus, even if the LAPD were only half as bad as portrayed by Eastwood, they would still be responsible for the despicable acts brought down upon Christine Collins.
Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the film, though, is the performance by Angelina Jolie as Collins. While better know for her blatantly sexual roles in such films as "Tomb Raider", "Mr. and Mrs. Smith", and "Wanted", Eastwood is able to do a complete makeover on Jolie, turning her into a character that we can all root for, and not just for her body. I gained a lot of respect for Jolie's acting talents by watching this film.
In a final touch, Eastwood also infuses his own simple brand of music into the film. Whereas in "Million Dollar Baby" it was the simple plinking of piano keys, in "Changeling" it is the simplistic strumming of a guitar that provides what little dramatic backdrop is needed to the storytelling. Eastwood knows that the story alone is compelling enough, so instead of opting for a dramatic score he just keeps it simple, which was the correct choice.
Thus, I recommend this film to anyone who just wants to watch a really interesting, true dramatic story. Though some of the subject matter may be a bit intense for the faint of heart, it needs to be that way in order to convey the horrific events surrounding the case of Christine Collins and her son Walter. Like nearly every Clint Eastwood project, whether acting, directing, or producing, this one will have you thinking about its events long after viewing.