Review of Changeling (2008) by Mloy X — 16 Mar 2013

Christine Collins (Jolie): I used to tell Walter, "Never start a fight... but always finish it." I didn't start this fight... but by God, I'm going to finish it.

This was really a very interesting film and truly scary, not because it was graphic or violent like most torture-porn flicks like "Saw", but because this movie was based on true events. With the exception of Jack the Ripper (who was from an entirely different continent and belonged to a much earlier time-line), I'm sure Mr. Northcott's crime was still pretty shocking, if not unheard of for that era. But what is just as disturbing was the atrocities committed by the L.A.P.D. against Christine Collins and the other women who had the guts to question their actions (or in Christine's case inaction) and lodge a complaint against their incompetence. I think, I'm starting to like Clint Eastwood as a director more than an actor because I've seen a lot of his old Spaghetti Westerns and frankly, I don't see the attraction for that genre of film. But I've watched a lot of Mr. Eastwood's directorial projects like "Million-Dollar Baby", "Mystic River", "Gran Torino", "Absolute Power", "Hereafter" and "Midnight At The Garden of Good and Evil" and I can safely state that I like his directing style much better. I love Angelina Jolie, but as an actress, she's hit or miss for me. She's perfect for action roles like as "Mr. & Mrs. Smith", "Salt", "The Tourist" or "Wanted" and can be cool in odd films like "Hackers" or "Girl Interrupted" but I also remember that God-awful performance in the period drama "Alexander". Fortunately, this film wasn't like "Alexander" but although "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" either, she still gave a pretty good and convincing performance. I loved Jason Butler Harner portrayal of Gordon Northcott, chilling an truly creepy, but as much as I love John Malkovich, he was an odd choice for the role of Rev. Gustav Briegleb and I quite honestly feel was a miscast. I kept waiting for him to do something goofy for some reason. But overall, this was a pretty cool movie, beautifully directed, good actors and incredible story.