Changeling
2008
****
Director: Clint Eastwood
Cast: Angelina Jolie, Jeffrey Donovan, John Malkovich, Jason Butler Harner, Colm Feore, Michael Kelly, Gattlin Griffith
An incredible true slice of history about a single mother whose world falls apart when her son is abducted. The LAPD, who is in desperate need of good publicity, return a boy matching the description and consider the case closed, but when the lady insists that it's not her son, the authorities are prepared to silence her. Jolie is very good as this fragile but strong-willed woman, and so is Jason Butler Harner as an obnoxious killer who is linked to the case. The story has a few too many climaxes, but Eastwood skillfully juggles between the genres and shows once more what a wonderful storyteller he is when he's armed with a strong script. Los Angeles of the late 1920s is beautifully recreated with set decoration and digital effects.
