Extremely hard to watch--think twice before you see this emotionally draining film.

Rating: 10/10 (11 February 2010)

My summary is NOT to discourage you from watching the film--just to encourage you to think before you watch it. If you are easily disturbed or a child--by all means DON'T watch this movie. It earned its R-rating because it is so incredibly disturbing--very disturbing!!
I was very surprised to see that this film was based on a real case that I had never heard about and which was apparently pretty much forgotten until the brilliant writer, J. Michael Straczynski learned of the case. A mother (Angelina Jolie) is called away to work and leaves her young son home along back in 1928. When she returns, the child is gone--with absolutely no trace of him. Five months later, a child is located in Illinois and brought back to the mother--but the child is NOT hers!! It seems that the LA Police are so intent on closing the case that they push a child in her lap and demand she accept it--even though the boy is now 3 inches shorter and has been circumcise!!! Insane as it all is, when she complains, the police try to sweep it all under the rug by shoving her into a mental asylum--which is more like a chamber of horrors than anything else!. There is much more to the story than this--a much darker and more disturbing plot than just seeing the inside of the mental hospital. But, because I don't want to spoil the plot, I'll say no more about this.
The film excels in almost every way. Aside from a bit of dialog that seemed anachronistic, the film gets very high marks for an excellent script, wonderful directions, a great performance by Miss Jolie and great music--written by the director, Clint Eastwood. One other thing I loved about the film was John Malovich's character. He played a radio preacher who was NOT some hypocritical, evil self-aggrandizer--as so many preachers are portrayed in films. Instead, he was a good man and important to the plot--thanks for a positive portrayal instead of a clichéd attack on ministers! See this film--just be prepared for some horrifying images and themes.