Changeling: Intense, Powerful and Brilliant

In Changeling, Angelina Jolie plays the role of a singe mother, Christine Collins, whose son, Walter, mysteriously disappears. After seeking help from the Los Angeles Police Department, a corrupted, dishonest and greedy department who could care less for a missing child, Collins desperately awaits for any results.

Several months later, things seem to shift for the badly publicized LAPD after Captain J.J. Jones, (Jeffrey Donovan), believes he has found Walter. In an attempt to get positive attention in a year of re-election for Chief James E. Davis, (Colm Feore), Captain J.J. Jones gets the media to witness the reunion of mother and son.

To their disappointment, Christine Collins claims that the child is not her own. Although the LAPD insists that the child is hers, Collins allows Reverend Gustav Briegleb, played by John Malkovich, to help her publicize her struggle against the LAPD. In an attempt to get them to admit their mistake and continue searching for her son, Collins encounters many injustices. Yet, nothing can stop her from fighting back.

The film, directed by Clint Eastwood, is set in the late 1920s and is based on the true events that took place in Wineville, present day Mira Loma. The movie is a mix between a drama and a thriller. What is most haunting about it is the fact that it is based on a true story. Unfortunately, the events are not exaggerated. I recommend that anyone going to see this movie avoid doing any research on the actual events that took place in Los Angeles at this time because the movie does not stray too far away from its history.

Although in the beginning of the movie Jolie's acting seems a bit over performed, the acting overall is very well done. There are a lot of touching moments that will tear anyone with a heart, as there are many intense moments that will leave everyone with chills. This movie has a lot of strong content, especially violence. Creating a very deep emotional effect on its audience, it is easy to understand why the movie received an R rating.

Something to look forward to in the film is that, unlike many other movies today, the film's trailer does not give away the entire plot of the movie. As the story unfolds, you will encounter many unexpected surprises. And although it is 140 minutes long, you'll be surprised at how it felt like so little time went by. As they say, time flies when you're having fun. And in the case of Changeling, time flies when you are watching one of the best movies of the year to date. Oscar-worthy? Definitely.