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Plot
Changeling is a complicated story about a missing boy, police corruption, 1930's era mental care, and a mother's love for her kid. A boy goes missing, and the police eventually bring a boy from Illinois who claims to be the missing boy but isn't. A police captain (John Donovan) demands the woman (Angelina Jolie) take the boy home, and then sentence her to an insane asylum when she protests. The woman and her preacher (John Malkovich) get her released, and then there is a twist in the missing boy investigation involving another detective's (John Kelly) investigation of a notorious crime and trial.
Review
The movie is much better than its trailer, which seems like a new Erin Brokovich. Changeling is actually a character-based drama carried by Christine Collins, played by Angelina Jolie. The script and supporting cast are also solid especially, John Donovan, and Michael Kelly. The photography is painterly, and some scenes are like little still life paintings. The movie takes time to get started, but builds momentum. The end of the movie with simultaneous court cases is solid. I generally don't like true stories, because fiction is better than fact generally, but this story ends as well as a novel, so it was fine. The strength of the movie, is that it caused me to ask, what if this happened to me? How can one person struggle against such terrible pressure?
Angelina Jolie and Michael Kelly should get Oscar nominations.
Cast and crew:
Starring: Angelina Jolie, John Donovan; directed by Clint Eastwood
Rating
1/2 MoreA good satisfying cinematic experience. Not a feel-good flick.
