Jason KingChangeling ($12-)
February 16th 2009 09:42
Category: No Category
Changeling ($12-)
Inspired by actual events that occurred in 1920s-era Los Angeles, Clint Eastwood's The Changeling tells the story of a woman driven to confront a corrupted LAPD after her abducted son is retrieved and she begins to suspect that the boy returned to her is not the same boy she gave birth to.
The year was 1928, and the setting a working-class suburb of Los Angeles. As Christine (Angelina Jolie) said goodbye to her son, Walter, and departed for work, she never anticipated that this was the day her life would be forever changed.
Upon returning home, Christine was distressed to discover that Walter was nowhere to be found. Over the course of the following months, the desperate mother would launch a search that would ultimately prove fruitless. Yet just when it seemed that all hope was lost, a nine-year-old boy claiming to be Christine's son seemed to appear out of thin air.
Overcome with emotions and uncertain how to face the authorities or the press, Christine invites the child to stay in her home despite knowing without a doubt that he is not her son.
As much as Christine would like to accept the fact that her son has been returned to her, she cannot accept the injustice being pushed upon her and continues to challenge the Prohibition-era Los Angeles police force at every turn. As a result, Christine is slandered by the powers that be, and painted as an unfit mother.
In this town, a woman who challenges the system is putting her life on the line, and as the situation grows desperate, the only person willing to aid her in her search is benevolent local activist Reverend Briegleb (John Malkovich).
While I absolutely loved every bit of this harrowing tale it felt more like a superbly filmed re-enactment of a dreaded piece of US murder history. It lacked an emotional gravity and I sat more as an observer than a character in the film. While harrowing it did not effect me. I absolutely love kids and the tale rocks you to the bone but while Angelina's performance is Oscar worthy I never cried for her character. And if you know me - you would know this has strong meaning - I have been known to cry in trailers (no laughing at me!)
Angelina was superbly casted in this role and her looks so suit the era, I get goosebumps watching her perform a role with depth, where she can concentrate on the complexities without worrying about how good her boobs look. Malkovich is a master at anything he touches but this character was so underutilised, I wanted more of his preaching, I never felt the tidal wave of support garnered by Reverend Briegleb. This would have been a great story from his point of view - or even better this story would have been pure gold if told from the point of view of the child forced to murder with his cousin. His mind and life ruined by circumstance and a fear of standing up to an older related evil.
Clint Eastwood can do no wrong and his film is so beautiful and visual, he captured the era with style, he was probably there when these things happened. But it lacked connection and out of his two films out now, while this one is superb, Gran Torino kicks its ass.
Trivia care of IMDB:
1) Based on the true story of the Wineville Chicken Coop Murders, also known as the Wineville Chicken Murders.
2) Twice in the film, Angelina Jolie's character "Christine" says: "Never start a fight, but always finish it". This is the same quote that Captain John Sheridan says his father always told him in the 90's sci-fi series "Babylon 5" (1994) which writer J. Michael Straczynski also wrote. Likewise, Attorney Hahn's description of how his daughter's absence continues to affect him daily is nearly identical to the way Sheridan describes grappling with his wife's death.
3) Shipped to some theaters under the name "Nomad".
4) There is a roadside café named "Bummy's" which appears early on in the film. This is possibly in memory of Clint Eastwood's long time collaboration with Production Designer Henry Bumstead, who passed away in 2006. His nickname was "Bummy".
5) Both Hilary Swank and Reese Witherspoon lobbied for the role of Christine Collins. Clint Eastwood cast Angelina Jolie at the suggestion of Executive Producer Ron Howard, who noted that Jolie's "look" would fit best with the time period.
6) Ron Howard planned to direct the film himself, until scheduling conflicts dictated otherwise. He then decided to serve as Executive Producer.
7) J. Michael Straczynski first learned of the story of Christine Collins from an unnamed source at Los Angeles City Hall. The source had stumbled across case files regarding the Wineville Chicken Coop Murders among other discarded documents scheduled for destruction. Straczynski took the files himself and became obsessed with the case, doing extensive research over the course of a year. Virtually every event depicted in the film appears as cited in legal documents, with dialog often taken verbatim from court transcripts. The exception is the insane asylum sequences which are based more on conventions of the time than documented events. Straczynski wrote his first draft of the screenplay in only eleven days.
8) Clint Eastwood agreed to direct the same afternoon he read the script.
9) The New York premiere of the movie was Angelina Jolie's first public appearance after she gave birth to her twins Vivienne and Knox.
10) Some scenes were filmed at a train station in San Bernardino, CA during the 2007 California brush fires. The whole set was thick with fire smoke.
Great to watch and a devastating story but lacking in connection. Worth $12-
Inspired by actual events that occurred in 1920s-era Los Angeles, Clint Eastwood's The Changeling tells the story of a woman driven to confront a corrupted LAPD after her abducted son is retrieved and she begins to suspect that the boy returned to her is not the same boy she gave birth to.
The year was 1928, and the setting a working-class suburb of Los Angeles. As Christine (Angelina Jolie) said goodbye to her son, Walter, and departed for work, she never anticipated that this was the day her life would be forever changed.
Upon returning home, Christine was distressed to discover that Walter was nowhere to be found. Over the course of the following months, the desperate mother would launch a search that would ultimately prove fruitless. Yet just when it seemed that all hope was lost, a nine-year-old boy claiming to be Christine's son seemed to appear out of thin air.
Overcome with emotions and uncertain how to face the authorities or the press, Christine invites the child to stay in her home despite knowing without a doubt that he is not her son.
As much as Christine would like to accept the fact that her son has been returned to her, she cannot accept the injustice being pushed upon her and continues to challenge the Prohibition-era Los Angeles police force at every turn. As a result, Christine is slandered by the powers that be, and painted as an unfit mother.
In this town, a woman who challenges the system is putting her life on the line, and as the situation grows desperate, the only person willing to aid her in her search is benevolent local activist Reverend Briegleb (John Malkovich).
While I absolutely loved every bit of this harrowing tale it felt more like a superbly filmed re-enactment of a dreaded piece of US murder history. It lacked an emotional gravity and I sat more as an observer than a character in the film. While harrowing it did not effect me. I absolutely love kids and the tale rocks you to the bone but while Angelina's performance is Oscar worthy I never cried for her character. And if you know me - you would know this has strong meaning - I have been known to cry in trailers (no laughing at me!)
Angelina was superbly casted in this role and her looks so suit the era, I get goosebumps watching her perform a role with depth, where she can concentrate on the complexities without worrying about how good her boobs look. Malkovich is a master at anything he touches but this character was so underutilised, I wanted more of his preaching, I never felt the tidal wave of support garnered by Reverend Briegleb. This would have been a great story from his point of view - or even better this story would have been pure gold if told from the point of view of the child forced to murder with his cousin. His mind and life ruined by circumstance and a fear of standing up to an older related evil.
Clint Eastwood can do no wrong and his film is so beautiful and visual, he captured the era with style, he was probably there when these things happened. But it lacked connection and out of his two films out now, while this one is superb, Gran Torino kicks its ass.
Trivia care of IMDB:
1) Based on the true story of the Wineville Chicken Coop Murders, also known as the Wineville Chicken Murders.
2) Twice in the film, Angelina Jolie's character "Christine" says: "Never start a fight, but always finish it". This is the same quote that Captain John Sheridan says his father always told him in the 90's sci-fi series "Babylon 5" (1994) which writer J. Michael Straczynski also wrote. Likewise, Attorney Hahn's description of how his daughter's absence continues to affect him daily is nearly identical to the way Sheridan describes grappling with his wife's death.
3) Shipped to some theaters under the name "Nomad".
4) There is a roadside café named "Bummy's" which appears early on in the film. This is possibly in memory of Clint Eastwood's long time collaboration with Production Designer Henry Bumstead, who passed away in 2006. His nickname was "Bummy".
5) Both Hilary Swank and Reese Witherspoon lobbied for the role of Christine Collins. Clint Eastwood cast Angelina Jolie at the suggestion of Executive Producer Ron Howard, who noted that Jolie's "look" would fit best with the time period.
6) Ron Howard planned to direct the film himself, until scheduling conflicts dictated otherwise. He then decided to serve as Executive Producer.
7) J. Michael Straczynski first learned of the story of Christine Collins from an unnamed source at Los Angeles City Hall. The source had stumbled across case files regarding the Wineville Chicken Coop Murders among other discarded documents scheduled for destruction. Straczynski took the files himself and became obsessed with the case, doing extensive research over the course of a year. Virtually every event depicted in the film appears as cited in legal documents, with dialog often taken verbatim from court transcripts. The exception is the insane asylum sequences which are based more on conventions of the time than documented events. Straczynski wrote his first draft of the screenplay in only eleven days.
8) Clint Eastwood agreed to direct the same afternoon he read the script.
9) The New York premiere of the movie was Angelina Jolie's first public appearance after she gave birth to her twins Vivienne and Knox.
10) Some scenes were filmed at a train station in San Bernardino, CA during the 2007 California brush fires. The whole set was thick with fire smoke.
Great to watch and a devastating story but lacking in connection. Worth $12-
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Comment by Morgan Bell
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Comment by Jason King
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Thanks for the comment!
Comment by Butterfly7
Anything and Everything!!!
I just Love Angelina Jolie.....and i will be going to see this movie for sure!!!!
Thanks for your review
Cheers BF7
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
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Comment by Butterfly7
Anything and Everything!!!
I might have to take Morgan along with me!!!!!
Cheers BF7
Comment by Tommy Pacialeo
Ohhh yeah, Ben has it on Blu-ray and I got myself a copy last week
Comment by Jason King
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