Changeling tells the true story of a woman driven to confront a corrupted Los Angeles police department after her abducted son is retrieved and she begins to suspect that the boy returned to her is not the same boy she gave birth to.
Changeling is a 2008 American period thriller directed by Clint Eastwood and written by J. Michael Straczynski. The film begins in 1928 Los Angeles and tells the true story of a woman who recognizes that the boy returned to her after a kidnapping is not her son. After confronting the city authorities, she is vilified as an unfit mother and branded delusional.
The film’s screening at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival was met with critical acclaim, prompting speculation it could be awarded the Palme d’Or, but the award eventually went to Entre les murs (“The Class”).
November 19th, 2008 at 3:01 am
Changeling is an engrossing thriller following the work of a detective, superbly played Michael Kelly, who stumbles upon a lead that could potentially help Christine find her real son. There’s a lot of story to cover in the movie’s two hour 20 minute running time, and relies on the audience’s lack of familiarity with the case to create suspense.
There are dark moments in Changeling as well as some hauntingly eerie and unsettling ones, and Jolie’s portrayal of a mother’s panicked grief and refusal to give up hope, even when all signs indicate the worst, is inspired. Highly recommended.