MOVIE: CHANGELING [2008]

REVIEW# 87
MOVIE: CHANGELING [2008]
Genre: Mystery/Crime/Drama
Cast: Angelina Jolie,John Malkovich
Director: Clint Eastwood
IMDb rating: 7.8/10
Deeps rating: 8/10
Verdict: Truly emotional plot.Excellent crime mystery.Powerful performance from Angie..

#PLOT.
  Christine Collins[Angelina Jolie],single mother of 9 year old Walter Collins lives in Los Angeles during 1928. Her peaceful life turns upside down when she finds her son missing, one day after returning from work.The LAPD police takes up the matter and one day they come up with a child who resembles Walter and hands him over to Christine as her son.Christine refuses to accept him as her son and her constant plea to the police that a mistake has happened goes into deaf ears.NYPD who is going through a tough phase due to various allegations of corruption and violence takes this case as a face saving matter and hence so refuses to listen to Christine's constant appeal.

    Relentless Christine with the help of a Reverend Gustav Briegleb[John Malkovich],takes the matter to the media.The resulting tension was too heavy for NYPD to handle and captain J.J.Jones of NYPD ,forcefully send Christine to a psychopathic ward and keeps her in confinement from outside world.Matters gets worse outside as the reverend starts to stage protests that spreads across the streets.
   Detective Yabra,of the NYPD, in his investigation of a deportation case unexpectedly come cross the shocking truth about a serial killer.Further investigations prove that the killer have brutally butchered more than 20 kids and Walker Collins was supposedly one of them.But an optimistic and re-silent mother,that's what she is;Catherine continues her fight against the corrupt and inefficient NYPD and keep her search alive for her missing child.

#POSITIVES.

1. Angelina Jolie.No one can portray the complex role of a grief-striken yet tenacious mother whose only boy went missing.Her role is both emotional and bold and she does that to perfection.
2. Clint Eastwood one again proves;what a master craftsmen he is! A plot this sensitive and complex would have easily got out of hands but the legend had his grips firm on the string.
3. Excellent performances from John Malkovich and all supporting casts.
4. The plot which is gripping and emotional.It's soul-stirring through out.

#NEGATIVES.

1. A bit too lengthy.Can be dragging at times.
2. Feels a bit melodramatic in between.That could have been avoided if they had trimmed the movie a bit shorter.
3. Some moral outrages.

#BOX OFFICE.

  The movie was well received by critics.Both Angelina and Eastwood were showered with praises.The movie got positive responses from the Cannes too.It was nominated for many awards including the Oscar's and Golden Globe.The movie was a success world wide.It collected more from outside than from North America.Made with a budget of $55 million ,the movie did a decent business to collect around $110 million world wide.

I m Deepak Unnikrishnan and I will be back with another movie from my collection,soon.

TIP OF THE DAY: DON'T START A FIGHT;BUT NEVER FORGET TO FINISH ONE.