CHANGELING ***

CHRISTINE COLLINS lived in LOS ANGELES in 1928. She was a supervisor for the local telephone company. One night when she returned from an uncharacteristic evening shift, she discovered that her nine year old son WALTER had vanished.

CHANGELING is the true story reflecting the mysterious circumstances surrounding Walter’s disappearance and how they impacted Ms. Collins, who is portrayed unforgettably by ANGELINA JOLIE.

JOHN MALKOVICH is Christine’s avenging angel, the REVEREND GUSTAV BRIEGLEB. The very first glimpse of him is a radio broadcast sermon that he gives in front of an enormous audience. In it, he denounces the LOS ANGELES police department as the most corrupt, vicious, venomous trash that he has ever come across…and he receives thunderous applause for it.

That particular speech elicits chills. JOHN MALKOVICH is beginning to appear in films a fair amount as of late. It’s exciting to remember how brilliant he’s capable of being.

The Reverend understands immediately that the LAPD are at the root of Christine’s problems in terms of either finding Walter or discovering what actually happened to him. His decency and concern for her as a human being are in stark contrast to the way Christine is being treated by others.

Eighty years ago, it was perfectly acceptable to label women as “hysterical.” The prevailing wisdom was that they have all of these hormones coursing through their bodies at any given time – making them unstable, irrational, overly emotional, uncontrollable…

Christine finds it incredibly difficult – as a single female raising her small son alone – to find anyone to take her concerns seriously.

There is an extraordinary performance that is key to this dark destructive tale: JASON BUTLER HARNER as GORDON NORTHCOTT.

He is a major player in the events that unfold. He’s like shimmering lightning in a clear glass bottle. Sometimes you want to squash Northcott like a particularly annoying bug. In other instances, you can feel the incredible pain and anguish he is experiencing – and your heart goes out to him momentarily.

Mr. Harner adds many colours and nuances to this man. It’s definitely towering substantial work that can not be overlooked in any respect.

The art direction is fabulous. It is an extremely detailed and authentic recreation of glittering golden age LOS ANGELES. The clothing is a perfect representation of the era.

J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI’S screenplay draws you in despite the story’s beautiful bleakness. There is a small thread of glorious hope that runs through the entire narrative, culminating in an ending that is realistic without being downbeat.

This is easily the best film that CLINT EASTWOOD has made since PLAY MISTY FOR ME. UNFORGIVEN, MYSTIC RIVER, FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS and LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA are all overrated and utterly lifeless. MILLION DOLLAR BABY was substantially good.

Aside from MISTY, CHANGELING is better than all of them.

Mr. Eastwood’s direction is so skilled and utterly truthful. He displays a polish and an easily comprehensible flow of hard to face realities. He also employs a feminist stance that I didn’t think he was capable of.

At the centre of this brooding gothic piece is the exceptional work of ANGELINA JOLIE. This is the finest performance I have ever seen her give in a theatrical motion picture (seeing as GIA was technically for HBO).

There is a great fire and determination deep inside Christine. You also sense that she has the grace to overcome any obstacle. But that does not become apparent until things turn very rough for her and almost all of her hope is gone. ANGELINA does have a few big star quality OSCAR moments. But they’re all finely modulated and discreetly placed.

Christine is a soft spoken, well bred middle class woman. She is not the tough, unstoppable babe that we’re used to seeing in an ANGELINA JOLIE movie. That is what makes her presence even more powerful and extraordinary.

There is a situation that illustrates this well approximately half way through the picture.

Christine meets a prostitute named CAROL DEXTER (AMY RYAN doing some extremely impressive acting) who is also being persecuted by the LAPD. She goes to thank Carol for standing up for her and taking her side when she desperately desired some badly needed support.

For her part, Carol could do nothing less. “FUCK THEM and the horses they rode in on.”

Christine is so shocked that she blinks profusely. “I don’t think that that’s the kind of language that a lady should be using.”

Carol replies, “No, in some situations that’s exactly the kind of language a lady should be using.”

Some time later, a known harasser arrives to force Christine into giving up and forgetting about the issues that she can not walk away from. But she will not go gently into that good night.

Instead of letting the bully have his way with her, she looks at him with deadly calm midnight blue eyes and states ferociously, “FUCK YOU and the horse you rode in on.”

CHANGELING is a finely crafted work of art – soulful, deep, compelling, suspenseful – with excellent acting and superb direction.

Some days I am very proud to be a woman…