Changeling (2008) - Oscar ® Nominee!

"A compelling, adult period thriller, with an Oscar-assured performance from Angelina Jolie.  Damon Wise, Empire
"Riveting!  Jeffrey Lyons, NBC/Reel Talk
"Angelina Jolie is in Oscar caliber form.  Lou Lumenick, New York Post
"Another masterpiece from Clint Eastwood.  Pete Hammond, Hollywood.com
"...a mesmerizing film that burns in the memory.  Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

Editor's Note At first, Clint Eastwood's CHANGELING could appear to be following too closely in the footsteps of his earlier Oscar winner, MYSTIC RIVER, since both films center on a missing child. But while his previous film was based on a Dennis Lehane novel, CHANGELING carries a particular weight because it is based on a true story, and one that isn't largely known. Angelina Jolie stars as Christine Collins, a single mother working in 1928 Los Angeles when her son goes missing. A boy is returned to her months later by the police, but she is shocked and disheartened when she realizes that the boy isn't her son. Joined by a crusading pastor (John Malkovich), Christine battles for justice against the corrupt L.A.P.D. while she continues to search for her child. Eventually her fight against the cops lands her in a mental hospital, where she is surrounded by others with a similar plight. At times, CHANGELING is incredibly difficult to watch. Jolie gives an authentic, anguished performance, and the on-screen tragedy is quite disturbing, largely because of its basis in reality. But Eastwood has crafted another Oscar-worthy film that is certainly worth sitting through, even if a tissue or two is required. Screenwriter J. Michael Straczynski had been best known for his work in science fiction (BABYLON FIVE) and graphic novels, but he makes an adept transition to feature drama with this film. Its unusual focus--on the victim and her struggle for justice, rather than on the criminal and the crime--brings further depth to the film. As always, Amy Ryan (an Oscar nominee for GONE BABY GONE) perfectly morphs into her role (this time as a prostitute imprisoned in the mental hospital), and the film's many child actors are compelling to watch.

	Amy Ryan
	John Malkovich
	Jeffrey Donovan
	Michael Kelly
	Colm Feore
	Angelina Jolie
	Jason Butler Harner
	Robert Lorenz - Producer
	Michael Straczynski - Screenwriter
	Clint Eastwood - Producer
	Brian Grazer - Producer
	Tim Moore - Executive Producer
	James Whitaker - Executive Producer
	Joel Cox - Editor
	Clint Eastwood - Composer
	Ron Howard - Producer
	Tom Stern - Director of Photography
	Deborah Hopper - Costume Designer
	Clint Eastwood - Director

USA Today
"[A] stately-looking film....The real-life story lends itself well to cinematic adaptation....CHANGELING is a provocative period piece, handsomely wrought." 10/24/2008

Los Angeles Times
"Eastwood makes CHANGELING a hard story to shake off. To see this film is to understand both how fragile and how essential our hopes for decency and truth are in a world that must be made to care about either one." 10/24/2008

New York Times
"When it works best, CHANGELING is a feverish and bluntly effective parable of wronged innocence and unaccountable power." 10/24/2008

Rolling Stone
3.5 stars out of 4 -- "[A] riveting true crime story....Angelina Jolie is a force of nature....She plays the role like a gathering storm, moving from terror to a fierce resolve." 11/30/2008 p.135

Total Film
3 stars out of 5 -- "The film's recreation of '20s LA, with its rattling streetcars and jalopies, is detailed and utterly convincing....The story's strong..." 11/01/2008 p.47

Empire
5 stars out of 5 -- "At the centre is a brilliant performance by Angelina Jolie....Eastwood sets this intimate performance against a big, bold backdrop that might be his most ambitious yet..." 12/01/2008 p.68

Premiere
4 stars out of 4 -- Clint Eastwood strikes again with another masterpiece....Jolie does some of her best work as the quiet but strong mother constantly on the brink of collapse without going over the edge..." 02/17/2009

ReelViews 7 of 10
Clint Eastwood's Changeling falls into a common trap: by trying to do too much, it accomplishes too little. If the film feels overstuffed and poorly focused, that's because the screenplay, credited to Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski, attempts to fuse two complex and far-reaching stories into a single movie. The result is that the primary thread, which features Angelina Jolie as a crusading mother, is bogged down by scenes that are only tangentially related to this aspect of the film. Eventually, it becomes clear how the subplot is connected to the main story, but the marriage is far from harmonious. And, while Straczynski should be commended for remaining reasonably true to the historical record, this results in an open-ended conclusion that isn't entirely satisfying...Changeling has the vibe of a "prestige" film that doesn't quite live up to expectations. The film's pedigree is strong, with an Oscar winner at the helm and another Oscar winner in the lead role. The release date suggests that Universal has awards aspirations for the movie. Ultimately, however, the story is where Changeling fails to gain traction. It's not just that there's too much going on, but that much of what's happening has only minimal relevance and detracts from a central story that deserves more attention and screen time. There are also problems with the unresolved ending, although admittedly there's not much the filmmakers could do about that since real life didn't provide the kind of closure that would have concluded Changeling with a note of finality. From a purely visual standpoint, Changeling can stand alongside any of the great stories about Los Angeles during the early decades of the 20th century (Chinatown in particular comes to mind), but that's where the similarities end. When it comes to storytelling, Changeling is strictly mundane. - James Berardinelli

Chicago Sun-Times 9 of 10
Clint Eastwood's "Changeling" made me feel sympathy, and then anger, and then back around again. It is the factual account of a mother whose little boy disappeared, and of a corrupt Los Angeles Police Department running wild. Angelina Jolie stars as Christine Collins, whose 9-year-old son, Walter, went missing in March 1928...Eastwood is one of the finest directors now at work. I often say I'm mad at Fassbinder for dying at 38 and denying us decades of his films. In a way, I'm also mad at Eastwood for not directing his first film until he was 41. We could not do without his work as an actor. But most of his greatest films as a director have come after "retirement age." Some directors start young and get tired. Eastwood is only gathering steam..."Changeling" displays the directness and economy of his mentor, Don Siegel. It has not a single unnecessary stylistic flourish. No contrived dramatics. No shocking stunts. A score (by Eastwood) that doesn't underline but observes. The film simply tells its relentless story and rubs the LAPD's face in it. This is the story of an administration that directed from the top down to lie, cheat, torture, extract false confessions and serve to protect its image. In a way, it is prophetic...Jolie plays Christine Collins without unnecessary angles or quirks. She is a supervisor at the telephone company, she loves her son, they live in a nice bungalow, all is well. She reacts to her son's disappearance as any mother would. But as weeks turn into months, and after the phony "son" is produced, her anger and resolution swells up until it brings the whole LAPD fabrication crashing down. Malkovich as the minister is refreshing: He's not a sanctimonious grandstander who gets instructions directly from God, but a crusading activist. And one more thing: The phony boy's reason for pretending to be Walter. It almost makes you want to hug him. Almost. - Roger Ebert