Eastwood brings out Jolie's best

Changeling

Certification: PG

Cast: Angelina Jolie, John Malkovich, Jefferey Donovan, Jason Butler Harner, Michael Kelly, Gattlin Griffith

Director: Clint Eastwood

Genre: Drama, Mystery

CLINT EASTWOOD has not done anything the critics disapprove of for quite a number of years now.

Ever since his success with the 2003 masterpiece, "Mystic River", Eastwood seems to have found the right formula for his movies to be a darling even with the Academy Awards.

This year, together with Gran Torino, "Changeling" is yet another critically acclaimed effort by the 79-year-old; proving that age is really just a number. With a similar theme to "Mystic River", "Changeling" is nominated for three Oscars next month, with Angelina Jolie up for Best Actress.

Inspired by a true story and set in the year 1928, in a quiet neighbourhood of Los Angeles, a single mother Christine Collins (Jolie) lives with her 10-year-old son Walter (Gattlin Griffith) in a modest little home.

The opening sequences show that the mother and son lead an ordinary life. Walter attends school while Christine is a hard working telephone supervisor overseeing a dozen of female telephone operators connecting calls on a giant switchboard.

But one day Christine comes home to find Walter missing. Even after lodging a police report, no one has seen Walter until five months later when Captain of the LAPD, J J Jones (Jason Donovan), informs Christine that they have found her boy.

However, upon their meeting, Christine realises against all hope that the boy is not Walter even though the boy responds to the name Walter Collins and calls Christine "mommy".

At that time the LAPD is under considerable pressure and scrutiny from the press, thanks to a Presbyterian minister, Reverend Gustav Briegleb (John Malkovich), and his efforts to expose corruption within the police force. So while in the presence of the press, Captain Jones is adamant that Christine is in shock and isn't coherent, and makes her take the boy home on a "trial basis".

But later on when Christine persistently fights back with the help of Reverend Briegleb, Captain Jones has no choice but to throw her into a psycho ward rather than admitting his mistake and becomes a subject of public ridicule.

This story is based on the Wineville Chicken Coop Murders that happened around the same time, whereby Gordon Northcott (played by Jason Butler Harner here) molested and killed young boys on his rural farm.

And the screenplay by J Michael Straczynski follows quite closely to the real events.

The progression and pacing by Eastwood is careful and comprehensive. He lets the audience soak up every scene with the most convincing performances from his cast.

Especially with Christine's character where her every emotion from sadness to disbelief and then anger as Captain Jones keeps implying that she's crazy, are effectual and never fail to show or compromise her inner kindness.

Angelina Jolie has stripped off her tough image from tomb raiding and gun swinging to give a quiet but incredibly moving performance of a classic heroine. And it is through her that Eastwood relies to carry the movie.

Strong and yet vulnerable, going against the system, receiving the harshest of punishments but soldiering through the chauvinistic nature of the society while resiliently searching for the truth; Jolie is able to inspire both on and off screen as the story of Christine resonates towards her personal challenges.

Jason Donovan and Jason Butler Harner both provide equally magnetic performances as well.

Donovan is the hateful negligent and irresponsible officer that is capable of concocting fantasies to get his way; and Harner is the psychopath that is disturbed and scary, and yet manages a chilling performance at the end that makes the audience feel for his demise.

John Malkovich is again nothing less than spectacular in his supporting role as the preacher on a mission. Every word he utters he is able to make it boom loudly through the screen.

But all these are to Eastwood's credit for being able to squeeze out every emotion from his actors on every shot. Together with Straczynski's script and his ability of story-telling, as well as the vision of cinematographer Tom Stern, Eastwood delivers yet another first-class piece of moving art.

My only question is why Eastwood decided not to make this into a thriller instead because it almost was and should have ended as one.

Reviewer's Rating: 8 / 10