AP PhotoAngelina Jolie plays Christine Collins, a single mother looking for her missing son in Clint Eastwood’s “Changeling.”Eastwood’s first directorial feature since “Letters from Iwo Jima” in 2006, “Changeling” has all the signature elements of a Clint Eastwood film. The dusty climate that surrounds the movie and the precise details of the 1920s setting screams Eastwood.
The film is set in a period of Los Angeles history when the police department had nearly full control of the city and used its power for self-benefit. Angelina Jolie plays Christine Collins, a single mother taking care of her son while working at a phone routing network. After missing the trolley on her way home from work one afternoon, Collins rushes back to the house, foreshadowing the coming panic.
Once at home, she notices her son, Walter, is gone and calls the police to place a missing persons report, but in the ’20s a 24-hour waiting period was already extant.
A month passes and news finally comes that the LAPD has found her missing child, but upon their reunion she realizes the boy is not her son. However, after recent negative media attention, the police department is in no position to admit its folly and tells her to “give it a try.” Christine pushes to get her son back but the LAPD turns a blind eye and finds ways to keep Christine quiet and out of the media’s flashes.
Jolie puts on her career-best performance in “Changeling.” Her emotional roller coaster gives depth and determination to the mother who is willing to give anything to have her son back. She produces enough tears to make her sorrow moving but does not dilute her performance in the process. There are moments when it was questionable whether Jolie is the right person to take the part of Christine, but by the end all doubt is erased.
John Malkovich also lends a noteworthy performance as Rev. Gustav Briegleb. Briegleb is the reverend of a local congregation and hosts his sermons every day on a radio station. His broadcasting often casts a shadow of doubt on the police force and constantly calls them out for reckless and ruthless behavior.
Briegleb hears about Christine’s situation and comes to her assistance, helping her battle the twisted police department by gathering evidence that the boy they found is not hers. Just as the press prepares the story of the century, things turn for the worst and Christine finds herself in a narrow situation.
Eastwood’s production is precise in every detail, from clothing, technology and the backdrop of old L.A. The film does overplay its power and runs long, but the payoff is worth it.
“Changeling” narrates a story that is both joyous and treacherous, but leaves the audience satisfied. Although it is designed for a parent-based audience, it can satisfy all who have ever felt loss but know that somewhere there is always hope.
Jay Homan can be reached at [email protected].
