Eastwood goes through the motions but Angie Works up a storm.

Rating: 8/10 (3 December 2008)

By this point we all know what to expect when you walk into a Clint Eastwood movie. It's going to be upsetting, it's going to be authentic and its going to be a beautiful movie, these no doubting that. At this point though, it all seems like Oscar Bait, abit like The English Patient. Where Changeling differs is the films ability to tell a intriguing story without seeming pretentious. Its handle with graft and care if not a whole load of originality.
What will attract moist to the movie is Angelina Jolie's performance, almost unrecognizable as a struggling mother; it's hard to comprehend the fact that this was the same woman who only a few months ago played a tomboyish assassin in "Wanted". This movie is crafted so well, every character in this movie done with the utmost attention from the writers and while most might complaining about the excessive running length, for me this film needed to be that long. It's that complex and there are that many story arcs that it's a necessary formula.
Inspired by actual events that occurred in 1920s-era Los Angeles, Clint Eastwood's The Changeling tells the story of a woman driven to confront a corrupted LAPD after her abducted son is retrieved and she begins to suspect that the boy returned to her is not the same boy she gave birth to.
The year was 1928, and the setting a working-class suburb of Los Angeles. As Christine (Angelina Jolie) said goodbye to her son, Walter, and departed for work, she never anticipated that this was the day her life would be forever changed. Upon returning home, Christine was distressed to discover that Walter was nowhere to be found.
Over the course of the following months, the desperate mother would launch a search that would ultimately prove fruitless. Yet just when it seemed that all hope was lost, a nine-year-old boy claiming to be Christine's son seemed to appear out of thin air. Overcome with emotions and uncertain how to face the authorities or the press, Christine invites the child to stay in her home despite knowing without a doubt that he is not her son. This story's resolution, while decent felt a little disjointed to me. While it would have done fine ending at one key moment, Eastwood Carries the film along for too long making it feel as if it has as many endings as Return of the King. This is not a best director picture film for me. I love what Eastwood does but its all very familiar grounds, its the other elements, the superb acting, the astounding source material, the well scripted story and the orchestral score. These elects fit together so seamlessly that it would almost be a tragedy if this want in the running for best picture. While with Angelina Jolie, I think its a sure-fire answer over what's she's taking home come award season.
Verdict: A competent, cleverly crafted period piece that combines all of its elements so seamlessly it dabbles on perfection. The lack of flair and originality shown by Eastwood is a bit of a letdown but Changeling rivals his best movies.