Great story, interesting historical setting

Rating: 8/10 (17 August 2015)

The Changeling, directed by Clint Eastwood, is a very well produced movie that focuses on a supposedly true event in Los Angeles,1928. Angelina Jolie does an excellent job as the mother of an abducted child, who goes through a gruelling effort to find out the truth as to what happened. In the attempt to get justice, she has to fight the City and the police force. The movie portrays the period with sets that give us a look at the times. We see the craftsman bungalows in her neighbourhood, the streetcars, the switchboard operators she supervises so the viewer gets a visual treat of the period as well as the story with its multi-layered plot. One can sense the frustration and heartbreak she encounters with the authorities as she tries to penetrate the corruption and cover-up from people protecting their own vice and evil-doing. The acting is good among a cross section of characters. The sets might be criticized for being too perfect and highly sanitized but this is a small complaint, given the positives of the movie. On another note, some of the cruelty in the film may not be to everyone's liking. It is certainly felt by the audience, although not altogether graphic. In any case, I did like the movie which is fairly long but riveting from start to finish. Recommend.