Changeling was not the film I expected. I should have known that Clint Eastwood wouldn't pull any punches, yet somehow I was profoundly surprised by the direction he throws the film in during the second act. Suffice it to say, it's not a happy film, but it's certainly compelling.
I must admit I found Angelina Jolie quite distracting in her role as the distressed and determined mother, Christine Collins. Which is not to say she wasn't good, but her performance felt a little one note. I should perhaps take it up with Mr. Eastwood the fact that he constantly shot Jolie with watery, dark kohled eyes peaking out from under her hat, and her (scarily skeletal) hand covering her ruby red lips (see pic below). Granted, her character had good reason to be shocked and crying, but the gesture to me became self-consciously repetitive.
In fact repetition is a big part of the film. Christine steadfastly clings to the fact that "this is not my son," and tells us so, time and time again. Mr. Eastwood is also repetitive with his framing, consistently shooting Jolie through windows, or framed by architraves. It's beautifully done, and almost locks her into her surroundings; locks her in with this interloper.
Despite the repetition, I felt that the film fails to flesh out some of the other characters. John Malkovich just plays himself, which is fine, if a little disappointing. I was also disappointed by the police Captain J.J. Jones, played by Jeffrey Donovan (or Vance Munson from Hitch, as he will forever be to me - just because it's a brilliant name). I thought there should have been higher stakes for his character, and that Vance (told you) should have played the role with more depth. To me he came across as a priggish chauvinist and not much more. I found myself imagining what someone like Josh Brolin would have made of the character.
I feel like I'm picking apart the film a bit, which is perhaps detracting from the fact that I did really enjoy it (as much as you can, given the subject matter). I guess I have high expectations for everyone involved - except maybe Vance - and moreover, history nerd that I am, I was curious to see how Mr. Eastwood would handle this horrific true story. And as a gut-wrenching tale of a mother's loss, tenacity and ferocious hope, Changeling absolutely delivers.
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