Chameleon

Rating: 7/10 (4 February 2009)

There's been a lot of talk about Clint Eastwood, from his early, iconic screen characters through his ups and downs and into his latter career, turning into one of America's best filmmakers. And for all the talk, he really lives up to it and delivers once again. Since 2003's 'Mystic River' the now 79-year old has been on a terrific winning streak, pulling out a double-wham in 2008 with the surprisingly multi-genre 'Changeling' and the harsh, gun-wielding but oh-so-soulful 'Gran Torino'. And for what I know he's shooting a new movie about Nelson Mandela, and let's hope he'll just go on and on, because right now he is making himself one of the most memorable film directors of all time.
'Changeling' seemed at first simplistic, obviously mysterious and obviously draining with Angelina Jolie (as Christine Collins) crying her heart out over her disappeared son. But I soon learned that Eastwood and screenwriter J. Michael Straczynski had some unpredictable and hidden tricks up their sleeve. The emotional core (in which the theatrical trailer so boisterously showed) is draining and not shy of coming upfront, there's several page-turnings throughout that keeps Angie's performance natural and vivid. And although the heartfelt stories of both 'Mystic River' and 'Million Dollar Baby' had eyebrow-raising power in its tenderness of the main characters, 'Changeling' takes a different path. The movie quickly develops, not forgetting its spine, but painting roads that gave hints of noir, pure crime-thriller, melodrama (off course) and even horror. Jolie, at the center, gives a great performance loaded with a series of unfortunate events, whether at close-ups in heavy makeup and red-hot-lipstick or fading into the big portrait of City of Angels (fabulously shot by Tom Stern), she can hold this spectacle of corruption, lies, greed, hope & loss together with impressive strength.
It's great casting (Jolie is daring and brings down the house, Malkovich feels odd but interesting as a priest-gone-crusader, and among others, Michael Kelly, Gattlin Griffith (as the gone baby gone Walter Collins), Colm Feore and Amy Ryan), the production and costume design brings further depths to characters and environments, and the music by Clint himself is classicism at times, but is full of life.
Jolie/Christine going down an almost hopeless line gets needful help by Reveran Gustav Briegleb (John Malkovich) who preaches that it has become his mission in life to bring down the LAPD. Malkvovich becomes a fresh breath of air, he steps into this with a detective's attitude into slashing the corrupt police down, and becoming a helpful friend in Christine Collins' dog days. And with such a multi-layered film, there will off course pop up several, interesting characters that adds new sides of the story, as in any classic film-noir crime. But ops, be sure not to stamp it, the film's loose and so is Eastwood, never loosing momentum and always have a keen eye on holding the thrills tight, showing a new, but knowingly dark, side of himself, and doing it brilliantly.