Clint Eastwood, Changling

by Stephanie Allerdice
11/10/2008

Clint Eastwood has done it again. He has created the movie most likely to be nominated for the Best Picture Oscar, if not others as well. Maybe there will even be a best original score for Eastwood, since he composed the movie’s score, which is perfectly matched to his movie. And I have come to expect nothing less from Mr. Eastwood.

In Eastwood’s Changeling, he tells the story of a mother, Christine Collins (Angelina Jolie), whose son is kidnapped. When the corrupt Los Angles Police Station returns the wrong boy, she fights to find her real son, with the help of a local reverend (John Malkovich).

The plot was interesting and surprising. The story is not only about Christine Collins’s loss but it is also about the connection of her son’s kidnapping to a string of murders in Canada. Though this is based on a true story it is an obscure one, so I didn’t see the murder mystery aspect coming.

I like that the film questions our idyllic notions about the twenties. We think of the earlier decades as a safe time with small towns and trustworthy neighbors; it was the Roaring Twenties, right? But this movie shows that people back then had just as many problems as we do in this decade without the constant annoyance of cell phones and traffic jams. Eastwood has always been one for originality.

I am also glad that Eastwood has picked another movie about a strong female character. While Million Dollar Baby showed a woman taking on a traditionally male role as a boxer, this movie showed a strong woman in the role that no male can play: mother. It is good to know that there is at least one director out there who thinks a woman can be powerful without being Lara Croft.

Jolie’s performance was stunning. Hollywood tends to take notice when a beautiful actress breaks herself down into such a basic, raw role. That’s not to say that she didn’t look lovely, and the period clothing and make-up suit her. It is her performance not her appearance that really catches the eye. Her voice as an edge to it when she yells that makes you cringe, and combined with all the raw emotion in her voice and there won’t be a dry eye in the entire theater.

John Malkovich was well, John Malkovich. He is talented actor to be sure, and he always performs to the best of his ability. But there is just something about him that makes all of his characters have a touch of not belonging. I think it’s his voice. It has the same inflection and tone, no matter what volume or emotion he is playing. It is a unique voice, but I could never feel what his character was quite right.

Jeffrey Donovan’s performance wasn’t spectacular. He was good enough, but he seemed out of his depth with the rest of the cast. It was as if he was unsure he deserved to be in the movie so he played it cautious. I would have rather seen him go all the way with his character, but as it stands he wasn’t evil enough for me to hate him and was never redeemed enough for me to feel sorry for him.

This isn’t one of those happy ending movies. But a happy ending wouldn’t fit the story. It isn’t cheerful and it won’t give you warm fuzzies. In fact, it will chill you to the bone and break your heart a little bit but it is a movie that you should see.