Movie Review: ‘Changeling’

If you’re an Angelina Jolie fan, run, don’t walk to see this film.  In fact, if you’re not already a fan of hers, I’m willing to bet that you will be after seeing her outstanding performance in the role of Christine Collins, a single mother who after losing her child, is ruthlessly persecuted by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) in a desperate attempt to silence a crime that threatens to expose their deception and corruption.  

Based on historic accounts of the “Wineville Chicken Coop Murders,” which spanned 1928-1930, Changeling tells the story through the eyes of protagonist, Christine Collins, mother of one of the boys captured by serial killer Gordon Northcott. Called in to work on a Saturday, single mother Christine returns home to find her 9 year-old son Walter missing. The LAPD turns up a boy 5 months later and quickly marks the case as closed. When Christine implores the police to re-open the case because the boy found is not her son, Captain Jones (Jeffrey Donovan) starts an LAPD-wide crusade to discredit and dismiss Christine, even throwing her into a mental institution.  

Luckily, Christine’s case has caught the attention of Reverend Gustav Briegleb (John Malkovich), a pastor dedicated to fighting the corruption and deception of the LAPD.  

Angelina Jolie captivates the screen in every shot that she’s in—we cry with her and our hearts feel hope along with hers. This is a very different role for Jolie than the majority of her previous films, and she convinces the audience that she is more than just a sexy, action heroine. The range of her performance is more akin to her emotionally stunning portrayal as the wife of slain Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl in last year’s A Mighty Heart. In Changeling, she channels from deep within her powerful love for children and brings to life a grief-stricken, desperate single mother who dares to challenge against corruption and discrimination.

Jeffrey Donovan plays a fantastic nemesis to Christine and newcomer Jason Butler Harner is eerily convincing as serial murderer Gordon Northcott. Clint Eastwood’s skillful direction, along with the strong cast and beautiful cinematography, makes Changeling one of my favorite movies of the year.