Another fine effort from Eastwood

Rating: 8/10 (2 February 2010)

"Changeling", one of Clint Eastwood's two directorial efforts from 2008, concerns a single mother whose son goes missing and is supposedly returned by the LAPD. However, she immediately realizes that the boy returned to her is not her son but is instead another boy apparently coaxed into co-operating with the police. Despite fierce resistance from the authorities she stubbornly sets out to uncover the truth about her son's disappearance.
For those unfamiliar with the term 'changeling', it is a term from European folklore referring to a being left behind in the place of a stolen human child. The reference is metaphorical here since the story is based on actual events that transpired around the time of the Great Depression. I don't know how close the film sticks to the facts but the plot does manage to mostly steer clear of contrivances.
Angelina Jolie is the undisputed star of the film and hers is a role made for Oscar consideration. She received a nomination for her performance though it is perhaps just a little too showy for my tastes. In my mind, the film's key performances come from relative unknowns like Jeffrey Donovan, Michael Kelly & Jason Butler Harner. Also of note is the always dependable John Malkovich in the film's main supporting role.
The film's look is quite attractive and the Oscar nominations for cinematography & art direction should have resulted in wins in my opinion. Eastwood's direction is also impressive and, what's even more impressive, he also composed the score (which is reminiscent of Jerry Goldsmith's score for "Chinatown").
Being a film about a mother searching for her lost son, "Changeling" could easily have been stifled by melodrama but instead it makes its mark as a compelling mystery. It's currently in the IMDb top 250, which attests to its general appeal but I would hesitate to rank it quite so highly.