Changeling

Rating: 7/10 (2 November 2008)

Changeling is a new film apparently based on a true story that took place in the late 1920's. The story focuses on single mother Christine Collins who lives with her nine year old son Walter. One day after returning from work, Christine can not find Walter anywhere and so she enlists the help of the police department, but the events that follow were to forever go down in history and show the corruption of the police department at that time, or at least in that city. Changeling is technically well made with great attention to detail trying to make everything look and feel like the 1920's, and I think they do a great job with costumes, sets and music, but other than for some technical achievements, I feel that there is little else to recommend with this film. First of all, I know that this film was based on a true story, but the events that take place in the film are so far fetched and unusual that while you are watching it, it feels more unpleasant than compelling. I also found a lot of problems with the script such as the many added subplots in the film that I personally did not think needed to be added. I also do not think the characters were as developed as much as they should have been and I don't think we as the viewer are given a chance to emphasize with the Christine character like we should be able to. Part of this problem comes from the many additional subplots I mentioned that take away from the real story, or at least what is supposed to be the main story that the film focuses on. I also found the acting in the film to be too overly melodramatic and over the top at times, so often it did feel quite unbelievable and forced which a true story film should never do. I also found the last half of the film exposing the corrupt police department went on way too long and the film started to hammer out a message that became repetitive and preachy and it was more tiresome than inspirational. The film could have lost at least 20 to 30 minutes of scenes that didn't particularly fit in the movie, or added much to it. The last half did drag very often and several times I felt like checking my watch to see what time it was and when this film would be over because it's one longer film where you can really feel it's length. I also thought the film gave too many instances of false hope to the Christine character and there was one too many scenes of her on the phone talking to the missing person's department and such that also could have been cut because it gives us the viewer false hope for the character and it just further made the film longer than it should have been. I think the main problem with this film is the script and had it been reworked over a little bit it could have been a very good film, but as it currently stands I can not personally recommend it.