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Changeling (2008)

Director: Clint Eastwood

Time Out rating

Average user rating

40 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out London

Great directors have an ability to make any material their own and take risks where others would demur. That is not to say that the subject of 78-year-old Clint Eastwood’s latest – the moving and true story of a traumatised lone mother (Angelina Jolie) who, in late 1920s Los Angeles, insists that the son returned to her by police following his kidnap is not hers – doesn’t involve themes and elements close to the director’s heart. It very much does: not least those of struggle against repressive systems, intolerable situations or impossible odds, a re-appraisal of the depiction of women and others seen as ‘second-class’ and an unflinching approach to the complexity, ironies, rituals and political implications of crime and violence, punishment and revenge.

But having said that, ‘Changeling’ is, for an essentially populist work, unexpectedly audacious, advancing way beyond the call of duty in all its basic four elements. Firstly, as a period-reconstruction costumer, it is meticulous to the point of affectionate in its realisation of the lost world of 1928 LA, while never allowing such ‘colour’ to obscure or upstage the human drama. As a police investigative procedural, too, it mounts a sober, credible, yet searing critique of the famously corrupt political and law enforcement establishment of the day, led by Chief Davis (Colm Feore). And, as a variation on the campaigning/woman-in-jeopardy movie, it illicits Jolie’s finest performance to date, as the woman, Christine Collins, who faces her worst nightmare – the kidnap of her 9-year-old son, while a child killer is known to be at work.

Jolie’s task is to show each calibration of her maddening dilemma (at one point she is incarcerated in a mental institution), caught as she is between suspended grief, fear, isolation, anger and – most movingly – her maternal feelings towards the imposter (Devon Conti) in her care. But, lastly, it is the restrained clarity of Eastwood’s exposition throughout this roller-coaster ride that is most impressive. He shows the horrors in the same way he observes Christine’s courage, all the while careful only to allow his sympathies to register by means of the tense and empathetic emotional line he keeps at every stage of his heroine’s hellish experiences. It’s a tough movie but also rewarding and inspiring: something of a quiet triumph.

Author: Wally Hammond 2008-11-25 09:08:15

Time Out London Issue 1997, November 29 – December 3, 2008

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User reviews of this film

mary at inverurie said...

Posted on Dec 12 2008 09:06 Interesting film and worth a visit. John Malkovich was well cast. However,at times, I felt Angelina Joile was just not quite suited to the part...

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mc said...

Posted on Dec 09 2008 12:05 Very powerful and moving film go and see

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MOD said...

Posted on Dec 08 2008 19:21 I thought this film was very very poor. It managed to be ponderous, boring and at moments was utterly tasteless. Angelina Jolie was drab and wooden - her performance bordering on amdram at times.

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Justin Berkovi said...

Posted on Dec 06 2008 13:07 After several disappointing films at the cinema recently I was pleased to say that this is a great film and precisely why you pay money to go to the cinema.
I'm not usually a fan of Clint Eastwood's 'obvious' direction and his somewhat unsubtle style. But he deserves huge kudos here. This is not a comfortable film to watch, especially being a parent. It's heart wrenching stuff and most people in the audience shed tears at some point in the film.
Eastwood's direction is superb, the actors brilliant and some of the cinematography absolutely beautiful.
Jolie is good, restrained but does not have a huge screen presence...although in this film perhaps that is the point.
This is easily the best Clint Eastwood directed film I've seen and one of the best films I've seen this year, I highly recommend it.

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Caroline said...

Posted on Dec 05 2008 17:39 ..and who said they don't make good films anymore!. Just brilliant . Can't wait for the DVD to be released.

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John said...

Posted on Dec 03 2008 23:03 Movie of 2008 Eastwood and Jolie could win Oscars for this great film.

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Frank said...

Posted on Dec 03 2008 20:09 Just to add my rating ..

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Sue said...

Posted on Dec 03 2008 18:58 My favourite movie of the year. Powerful, moving and believable, the mother's pain almost tangible. I was riveted from start to finish and I tend to fidget in long films as a rule. Brilliant, an absolute must-see in my opinion.

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Sutton said...

Posted on Dec 03 2008 13:34 Truth Teller - I didn't study the history of 1920's America or the LAPD at school or College. Large leap to then get to the political figures of today... BTW, the film started by saying it was a true story and I believed Clint, so shoot me.

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Frank said...

Posted on Dec 03 2008 13:02 An impressive, gripping drama handled in typically restrained style by Clint Eastwood. Although Angelina Jolie (terrific) is the lead an ensemble cast of little known character actors are uniformly superb. The story is an amazing true life tale which keeps shifting genres & it's unlikely any other director could have handled these changes as well as Eastwood, who evokes tremendous emotion from his story without ever descending into melodrama, as well as keeping Jolie's determination to find out what happened to her son front & center amidst the various story strands
Changeling is beautifully but un-ostentatiously produced & a real movie for grown ups. In some ways - from Eastwood's immaculate orchestration of multiple storylines & moods, to the superlative editing by Joel Cox & Gary Roach, & the disturbing contemporary resonances of this cautionary tale - it may just be Eastwood's best film yet. Highly recommended.

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critique said...

Posted on Dec 03 2008 12:25 Reliably crafted drama, at its best in its more understated scenes but all too often dipping into cliched melodrama. Jolie`s acting abilities seem to split opinion; I tend to feel she is over-estimated.

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TRUTH TELLER said...

Posted on Dec 02 2008 20:33 In reading the comments by people who saw the movie, I am astonished to see a comment by a person who says he/she didn't realize how corrupt the LA police were at that time (1928). Now he/she knows it because they saw it in a movie?!!!
Good grief, no wonder we keep getting the same kind of political leaders.
The police in LA in 1928 were a lot more honest than the police in London at that time. There is no historical evidence to say that LA ploice were corrupt then-it's just Eastwood taking creative license.
Good grief! It was in a movie so I know it's true!!!!!!!!!

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alisha said...

Posted on Dec 02 2008 13:45 wicked movie

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kally said...

Posted on Dec 02 2008 01:51 Simply amazing!

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Norman Lowther said...

Posted on Dec 01 2008 20:27 Thank you Clint for yet another great movie ! Its obvious that Ms Jolie's mammoth performance(probably Oscar Winning) was down to Eastwood drawing correctly on her acting mood capabilities ! Angelina is certainly not just a pretty face---She's a darn fine actress !

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