"Changeling" - spoiler movie review

I'd seen the trailer for "Changeling", and it looked kind of interesting, but I wasn't sure if I was going to see it. However, the more I kept hearing about it, I found myself drawn further in, so I went to a sparsely-attended Friday afternoon showing of the film.

The story is about Christine Collins, a woman whose son goes missing, and the Los Angeles Police Department is put on the case. They claim that her son was found in another state, but when he's brought back, she says it's not him. They insist that he is, even suggesting that she "try it" for a few days and see how it goes. The L.A.P.D wants the good press from having found her lost son, so her assertion that the boy they found is not her son falls on deaf ears. And if they've claimed to have already found her son, no need to keep looking, right?

I absolutely loved the film. It was top notch in all aspects. I'm not a particular fan of Angelina Jolie's, but she was just spectacular in this film. She played all the notes just perfectly, and despite what press stories might come up about her, there's no denying the talent she displays on screen. I also loved the period look of the film, and that they used the old Universal logo at the beginning of the film.

I'm interested enough in the story that I might try to find out what actually happened as opposed to what was shown in the film. The attitude and treatment by the police officers was just atrocious, not to mention the so-called doctor at the mental institute. During those segments, I wondered if Angelina Jolie flashed back to her time shooting "Girl, Interrupted".

Clint Eastwood does a terrific job directing the film (in addition to providing the score/music for the film), and I was surprised that the screenplay was written by J. Michael Straczynski, of "Babylon 5" fame. John Malkovich also does a good job in the movie as Christine's only advocate.