Changeling is moving, but slow-moving

By Faheem Ahmed     11/13/08 6:00pm

The winter months and the end of the year are looming. With them, sprawling dramas, emotionally empowered cinematography and tear-inducing performances will soon inundate the box office, wooing audiences, critics and, most importantly, the Academy. A Best Picture nomination is viewed as the highest achievement for directors, a lofty goal reserved only for the cinematic elite.One of the films vying for the 2009 Oscars is Clint Eastwood's Changeling, starring Angelina Jolie (Mr. & Mrs. Smith). It's been a while since fans have seen a film with Jolie front-lining in a serious role (as much as I appreciated Wanted, in which she had approximately four lines and relied on her exotic eyebrows and luscious lips for 95 percent of the movie).

Changeling is based on the true story of Christine Collins, whose son, Walter, goes missing in 1928 Los Angeles. During this time period, the Los Angeles Police Department has been flooded by corruption, bribery and drug trafficking. Officers are seen in the company of hookers and criminals, often throwing innocent people behind bars. (Sounds like the LAPD hasn't changed much over the years.)

After Collins visits the police, LAPD blows her off repeatedly until they miraculously return with her missing son several months later. Just one problem: The kid is not Walter Collins. (Note: A changeling is an elf or fairy left in the place of a human child.)

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When Christine insists that this boy is not her son, Police Captain Jones tells her she is crazy, delusional and shirking her duty as a loyal mother. She threatens to make her case public with the aid of radio host Reverend Gustav Briegleb, adeptly played by the talented John Malkovich (Burn After Reading), but Jones throws her into the psychiatric ward, an institution just as corrupt as the police force.

While Changeling opens somewhat slowly, the meaty middle will captivate the audience's attention as a surprisingly disturbing subplot takes over the film. Viewers will find themselves on the edges of their seats, grimacing in anticipation of the next event in the twisting storyline.

Eastwood is in top form as the director, artfully using a washout effect to capture the essence of the '20s. Jolie plays Collins with a sweet touch, but her performance does not particularly bowl the audience over. The most noteworthy performance is that of Jeffrey Donovan (Burn Notice), who plays Captain Jones. Donovan is absolutely detestable, a slimeball cop who viewers will want to scream at for the entire movie. Many kudos to Donovan for playing the perfect villain.

The most important part of any film, however, is its ending. The movie can have an amazing opening, a great middle and climax, but if the ending is mediocre, that is all the audience will remember as they leave the theater. Many films fail to sustain their rising emotional drive for two-plus hours, and unfortunately, Changeling falls into that category. Eastwood provides about four different endings, but he implausibly continues the movie, throwing in scenes seemingly for no reason. If Changeling ended about 20 minutes earlier than it does, it would definitely be nominated for Best Picture (although we all know The Dark Knight is going to win).

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