More great storytelling,courtesy of Eastwood and company

Rating: 9/10 (6 November 2008)

**SPOILERS POSSIBLE**
Working Single Mom Christine Collins(Angelina Jolie,who's probably too pretty to play ANYONE from real life,but oh well)lives for two things:her job as a manging receptionist for the switchboards at AT&T(?)in Los Angeles,and her son Walter,a bright but somewhat downbeat nine-year-old. When he comes up missing after an unplanned workday--a Saturday,as it was--Christine does what any distressed mother does,she goes through the proper channels to find him. What happens to her ensuing is something that shouldn't happen to anyone.
Clint EAstwood's latest directorial effort is both something very familiar to his work(think UNforgiven,maybe Bridges of Madison County,Million Dollar Baby)and yet something that is wholly unique. To call this a kidnapping story,a story about police corruption,a women's plight movie,a crime mystery or a meditation on loss would miss the mark,because in truth this movie is really a big stew of ALL of those concepts. Adapted off a book by J.Michael Stracynzski(spelling?),Eastwood's simple filming is able to capture reactions and emotions as cleanly as possible. Jolie is mesmerizing as the mother,and even though I realize she seems to be happier playing "kick-butt" type roles,her ability to play vulnerability(she cries about as good as any A-list actress out there today!)is priceless. While I'm not sure I would've placed slow-burning actor John Malkovich as the muck-racking aggravating Presbyterian minister,he carries out this role with convincing,empathetic and intelligent controlled rage. Much of the cast is not what you'd probably call main-line or even vaguely recognizable talent,but that's maybe the great beauty of the film:character actors who don't distract from their characters. Some notable veterans who come to mind in this film(to me anyway)are "Burn Notice"'s Jeffrey Donovan(as the conscience-free Police Captain who seems more interested in putting off people like Christine Collins and keeping his unit un-burdened), Amy Ryan(normally lovely and well-scrubbed,as a hardened,roughed-up prostitute that's been "dealt-with" by the LAPD),Colm Feore(as the politically aware,corruption oblivious--willfully so--Police chief),Peter Gerety(As the quack doctor,hired to basically put official wraps on loose-ends for the Force)and Michael Kelly(As the one detective in the Force who actually seems more interested in investigating a case than covering his behind). A great attention to time period(late 1920s and early-to-mid-1930s Calfornia,mostly)and EAstwood's spare usage of music(mostly instrumental horn JAzz,BTW)fills this out beautifully.
Some tie-ups with the plot and a little predictability in the dialog makes this JUST shy of perfection,but still the fantastic filming,which enhances the storytelling technique,is what makes this very special. While I'm not one to usually make declarations of a film's worthiness of the Oscar or any other award out there,if one wanted to offer this up as "Best Picture" of the year,I certainly wouldn't object. Highly recommended!