A fine film, Clint Eastwood has done it again!

Rating: 10/10 (12 November 2008)

Clint Eastwood, the master of making depressing films now makes his trilogy: Mystic River, Million Dollar Baby, and now Changeling. Based of the horrific chicken coop murders from the 1920's in California, we get a deeper insight into one of the mothers of the victims, Christine Collins who is portrayed by Angelina Jolie, queen of the never ending tears. I'm just playing, she does a terrific job and is just so heart breaking to watch her story on film, she gives Christine a lot of character and depth. The film is even made a certain way, a lot of dark colors, it seems as if it was made in old Hollywood, which was a very intelligent way of setting the mood and time of the film. We have some very fine performances pretty much from everyone in this movie. The one flaw I did feel is that the script does have some lines that are a little over done, a little too dramatic, but it really works for the film and story.
Christine Collins is a single mother in the 1920's, she's a strong woman who is even ahead of some of the men in her line of work as an operator manager. But she's so busy with work that she tries to make time with her son, Walter. One day they are going to go to the movies, but Christine has to go to work, she says she'll meet Walter right back at home, she's late of course and when she gets home, Walter is missing. She calls the police, but they say she has to wait 24 hours. After a few months, the police tell her they've found her son, she couldn't be happier... that is until she sees a boy who is not her son. But the police will not fess up and admit they messed up, so instead of helping Christine, they treat her horribly and throw in her in an insane asylum and quite looking for her son, but the town's Rev. Gustav Briegleb will not give up and expose the police for the horrible people they are and will do anything to help Christine find her son.
Changeling is a great film, one of the best of 2008, you know this is going to be a big contender for Oscar season. I really enjoyed this film, I have to admit it had me in tears, all that this poor woman went through to find her son, the pain and mental mind, well you know the f word, that the police put her through, I felt so horrible for her. Jeffrey Donovan just plays the ultimate jerk who just keeps playing gaslight on Christine Collins forcing a child who is not her son down her throat. Although I think this film could have been a good comedy if they gave her an Asian baby or something and try to convince her then that that's her son, lol, OK, that was so bad, sorry. But seriously, this is a great film, I do highly recommend that you take the chance to see it in the theater if you can.
10/10