Potential for Oscars

Rating: 9/10 (1 December 2008)

Changeling" is almost what the trailers reveal; a woman (Angelina Jolie) comes home one day from work and finds that her son is missing. Several months later, he is found by the LAPD, but the boy is not her kid. When she tells the police that the kid is not her son, they say she's crazy and then she is tossed into a mental institution. This though is only a thin slice of the cake.
The film is a study of the 1920s on police corruption as well as ties in a disturbing true event that happened in California around this time period. Clint Eastwood captures this era wonderfully with the aid of authentic set designs and a muted color tone, (which reminds me much of Conrad L. Hall's cinematography for "Road to Perdition"), which also aids much depth to the look of the time period as well as the dark mood of the story.
The performances give a certain illumination to the film, bringing it to life. Of all the movies I have seen, Angelina Jolie gives her best performance that is definitely not shy of an Oscar. She was very engaging and believable, enough for me to feel her character's anguish. John Malkovich also gives a noteworthy performance as the local activist Gustav Briegleb. More great additions come from the children actors. I always find most child actors to be either too rehearsed or just plain bad, but all of them in this movie were very moving and captivating in their roles.
The other genius in this film is Clint's direction. I always found him a better director than actor, and he definitely proves that in this film, particularly when it comes to capturing emotion. I won't give away the ending, but I have to mention that one of the most brilliantly directed scenes in this movie is the execution scene. To make the tension believable, he uses a lot of POV shots on the man who is about to be hanged as well as with the victim's family members, which not only drags out the scene to build the suspense, but it also builds emotion. Even though the guy who is about to be hanged is evil, I still feel pity for him. Not many directors could do this, but Clint pulls it off magnificently.
The only problem I had with this movie was the pace. The first hour and a half is pretty good, but the remaining forty-five minutes just seemed drawn out and lifeless. The conclusion is inevitable, but in my theater seat I felt it should just get there quicker. Overall, this masterwork by Clint Eastwood has potential for some Oscar recognition.