< Home / Interview / Critic / Bio / My articles in Japanese >

46th N.Y.F.F

Changeling

Written by Nobuhiro Hosoki

 

"Changeling" is a riveting true crime story set in Los Angeles in 1928, about an overwhelmingly gripping crime of police corruption that led to a lifelong suffering ordeal for a single mother, Christine (Angelina Jolie). L.A has sometimes provided a great celluloid turf for crime-ridden chaos, such as the classics "L.A Confidential" and "Chinatown." This one is no exception.

One day, Christine, a roller-skating supervisor of a cable telephone comes home to find her bright and sensitive son Walter (Gattlin Griffith) has mysteriously disappeared from their home in broad daylight without a trace. She goes to the police, who immediately send out an investigate team as the news spreads nationwide. Five months later, the Los Angels Police Department, under increasing pressure and led by Captain. J.J (Jeffrey Donovan) produces a boy at the train station.

The only problem is that Christine knows instantly that's not her son even though he throws his arms around her and calls her "Mother." The poor woman doubts her own perception and winds up taking the boy home while continuing her search for her real offspring. The police stubbornly refuse to admit their mistake, calling her neurotic as she insists that the police have been wasting time by not continuing to search for her real son.

Christine finally takes her case to the press, provoking a scandal that leads to involvement with Reverend Gustav Briegleb (John MalkoVich), an activist who helps her to fight the city authorities. But this deed enrages Captain. J.J, who eventually throws Christine into a mental institution, where people experiencing police brutality are also held.

The film is an indictment of a corrupt system decaying from the inside. It takes a master like Clint Eastwood to bring a whole era to life and capture its artistry. He explores a strong female character that mesmerizes us and burns into our memory. Cinematographer Tom Stern, a long-time collaborator of Esatwood, gives the palette further textural enhancement on the palette. Angelina gives a top-notch performance; her dedication to her only son grabs you by the throat and never lets us off the hook.

Directed by Clint Eastwood
Written by J. Michael Straczynski
Director of photography: Tom Stern
Edited by Joel Cox and Gary D. Roach
Music by Mr. Eastwood
Production designer: James J. Murakami
Produced by Mr. Eastwood, Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Robert Lorenz
Released by Universal Pictures.
Running time: 2 hours 20 minutes.

Cast: Angelina Jolie (Christine Collins)
John Malkovich (the Rev. Gustav Briegleb)
Jeffrey Donovan (Capt. J. J. Jones)
Michael Kelly (Detective Lester Ybarra)
Colm Feore (Chief James E. Davis)
Jason Butler Harner (Gordon Northcott)
Amy Ryan (Carol Dexter)
Geoff Pierson (S. S. Hahn)
Denis O’Hare (Dr. Jonathan Steele)
Frank Wood (Ben Harris)
Peter Gerety (Dr. Earl W. Tarr)
Gattlin Griffith (Walter Collins),
and Devon Conti (Arthur Hutchins).