A Film That Could Have Been A Masterpiece...

Rating: 8/10 (8 November 2008)

Christine Collins is called in to work on her day off. She leaves her son at home and promises to take him out tomorrow to make it up to him. When she returns, he is missing, nowhere to be found. 5 months later the LAPD claim to have found him, but when they present the boy to Christine, she refuses him, saying he is not her son. Instead of making the department look embarrassed and admit failure, they throw her in a mental institution.
What makes Changeling even more depressing is that this is all based on true events.
Eastwood has yet another winner under his belt with Changeling. Some might find it a hard film to enjoy, but I was engaged throughout, due to the performances, art direction, story and Eastwood's talented directing. It's Eastwood's eye to detail that brings this 1920's era to life. I was really impressed with the design of this film and it felt completely real to me. From the set design to the costume design. Normally you can see through the fabric and know that it was made for the film, but here it simply fits.
A lot of the film rests on the shoulders of Angelina Jolie, as the mother of the lost child. I believed her in this role. Her eyes do most of the acting, subtle and honest. Yet at times her overbearing yelling distracts. At first it's believable, but near the end it seems more of the same and irritating at times. It's a strong enough performances to garner attention from Award ceremonies. On the supporting side is John Malkovich, who kicks all kinds of ass without doing much. His presence is enough to make you cheer. He is in command and you can tell by simply listening to his tone of voice. Colm Feore is someone you can count on to play any man with questionable morals. It's all in his face, perfectly cast here as the Chief of police. I have to say that a weak link in the acting is Jeffrey Donovan. I enjoyed him to a degree, but his voice/accent is just too annoying to get use to. I squirmed in my seat a couple of times, not from his characters actions, but from the accent.
One person to watch for here is Jason Butler Harner, who plays a serial killer. He takes a slightly different approach to the subject matter. He isn't too crazy, he isn't too weird, he's a mix of both. But what makes it a more horrifying performance is that he is human. We are not seeing Hannibal Lector up on the screen, we are seeing a human being. I wouldn't be surprised if a Supporting Acting nod went in his direction. Also, Amy Ryan makes a small appearance, nothing too big, but her scenes are well enough to make a mention of.
The story is strong, and it is strengthened by the fact that it is based on a true story. If it were fabricated, then the emotion might not have been there, at least not as much as what this film delivers. Jolie delivers a performance that is heart wrenching, at times, and it is heightened by that small little fact that someone in this world went through those emotions, those barriers and heartaches.
Yes, this film is depressing. Eastwood knows it, and uses it to his advantage. Throughout the entire film I found myself just wanting to punch some people in the face, to yell at them and help Jolie in her cause to get her son back. Malkovich does this for the audience, which is why I think his character kicks ass. He does what we as the audience want to do. The tension in this film is high, not from thrills, but from the horrible things that these characters do to Jolie. She stands her ground, we cheer, and they throw more rocks at her, we tense up. Great flow for this film.
Although, with all it's greatness, it does have a weakness. It's too freaking long. I thought the film was going to end, then it went on for another 20 minutes. I think with a bit more editing and tightening up, you can easily shave off those 20 minutes. Even though I was entertained and engaged in the last little bit of the film, mostly the trial and the bits in between the trial, I couldn't help but think that the film should wrap up soon. Real soon.
Much like Eastwood's Oscar baby, Mystic River, Changeling deals with a missing child. Only this time it's the feminine aspect and the time period is drastically different. The film is strong enough to stand as one of his better works and if it were a bit tighter and shorter...I might have been able to call it a masterpiece.
Too bad.