There are movies you walk away from with images that echo in your consciousness forever. These movies don’t come by too often, but I can honestly say that I feel this way about every movie directed by Clint Eastwood. Changeling is no different, in fact the imagery and lingering emotions from watching the film will replay themselves in my mind for some time to come. There is a lot to digest in this movie and I feel it is arguably Eastwood’s most complex work to date, which is no easy task considering his directing resume.  Add in the fact that this is based on a true story and it boggles the mind that such an unbelievable tale actually happened.

Changeling is the story of single mother Christine Collins (an amazing Angelina Jolie) whose son Walter goes missing for five months before he is found and returned to her by the LAPD.  All is not as it seems, as she immediately realizes the boy they returned is not actually her son. She is forced to go along with it by overbearing police Captain Jones.  She soon comes to realize that the strange boy is part of a cover up plot with far deeper implications than a simple missing child case.

Changeling is an excellent title for this film, as it describes the entire movie perfectly. The emotional focus changes throughout the course of the movie, taking the viewer on a rollercoaster of emotions throughout.

It is not until around the third act of the film that it transcends being a simple missing child story and becomes an amazing piece of cinema guaranteed not to be forgotten.  Eastwood’s direction is impeccably paced gradually ramping up the intensity towards the climax of the movie and never fully letting go of the tension.

The success and believability of this movie is almost solely placed on the shoulders of Angelina Jolie. And like Kobe in the fourth, she handles the pressure effortlessly and more than delivers. Her performance is more than Oscar worthy. Despite all of the paparazzi surrounding Jolie in her private life, her performance is so convincing that one can simply view her as Christine Collins and not some megastar actor. Her performance is so good that it transcends her personal image to create a wholly believable and convincing mother who wants nothing more than to get her true missing son back.  Physical attractiveness aside, the sincerity of her performance grabs your attention from the first frame.

The supporting cast is also impressive. John Malkovich plays Reverend Gustab, who is solely dedicated to helping Christine uncover the truth while pursuing his own agenda of exposing corruption within the LAPD.  Jeffrey Donovan is also great as the despicable Capt. Jones and does an excellent job of eliciting feelings of disgust for his character. The rest of the cast is equally good, yet I hesitate to discuss them as they may give away spoilers to an excellent plot that everyone deserves to uncover on their own. 

The bottom line is that Changeling is an excellent piece of cinema that ultimately provokes just as many questions as it answers.  Anyone looking to watch an amazingly written, craftfully directed and beautifully acted masterpiece would do well to check this movie out.