Based on true-life events in 1928 Los Angeles, ‘Changeling’ (released in 2008) is truly one of the very few movies based on true characters and yet successfully catches our imagination.
Directed and produced by none other than Client Eastwood, this mystery-suspense drama has been well-appreciated by critics as well as moviegoers for the finest performance by Angelina Jolie.
The film ‘Changeling’ starts with a working mother Christine Collins (Jolie) who one morning left home bidding goodbye to her nine-year-old son Walter Collins with a promise to take him to a movie the next day. When she comes back home in the evening, she finds no one at home, and after searching everywhere, she finally lodged a complaint at the police station about her missing child.
After a few months of search, the already embarrassed and corrupt Los Angeles Police Department, in an attempt to give the press a good story, finally came up with a boy who claimed to be Walter, and even though Christine insisted that the boy is not her son, under highly uncomfortable situations she let the boy stay at her home.
Under such conflicting circumstances, when she was not able to cope with her emotions, she dared the corrupt police department by going public with the help of a clergyman, Rev Gustav Briegleb (John Malkovich) by telling the truth that the boy delivered by the police is not her son. With fear from the public, the police in charge of the case Capt. JJ Jones (Jeffrey Donovan) falsely declared the lonely mother as mentally disturbed and sent her to a mental asylum.
Thereafter what happens in the film is certainly something to watch. Angelina Jolie as Christine Collins has delivered one of her career-best performances. All in all, ‘Changeling’ is a must-watch but not for kids at least, because of some highly disturbing and emotionally drained scenes.
Starring: Angelina Jolie, John Malkovich, Jeffrey Donovan, Jason Butler Harner, Colm Feore
Directed by Clint Eastwood
Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Cinematography: Tom Stern
Edited by Joel Cox, Gary D. Roach
Release Date: October 24, 2008
Watch the Movie Trailer for “Changeling”
Where to watch Changeling (2008)
