Changeling had me thinking of an episode of This American Life that I've heard a couple times called "The Ghost of Bobby Dunbar." Both stories are about children taken from their parents and then returned, but maybe not to the correct parents and there are other switch-ups and stuff. I guess this stuff was always happening in the thirties.
Clint Eastwood's movies don't seem to have any thematic elements in common, but they all have a lot in common stylistically. Changeling is a long, well paced and sparse movie, just like every other Eastwood movie that I've ever seen. It is also quite good.
For all of the star power concentrated in Angelina Jolie and John Malkovich, I thought that the most compelling character was the mostly anonymous detective guy who finally cracks the case, allowing Malkovich and Jolie and the lawyer that should have been played by Clint to stick it to the jerks in charge of the Los Angeles Police Department. Jolie never struck me as much of an actor, and she doesn't impress here, despite the cute hats she gets to wear. Similarly, Malkovich wears some really comfy sweaters, although I would prefer them in different colors. A big surprise for me was the girl who played (and probably will again play) Holly on the Office as a patient of the nut house the cops throw Jolie into. Girl's got chops. I knew she could crack a dorky joke with the best of them, but I didn't know that she could disappear into a movie like this so well.
Cost/Benefit analysis: I didn't pay anything to see this movie, but it is well worth a rental. I wanted to see it in the theater, and I don't think I would have been unhappy paying full price. I don't think I'd ever buy the DVD, though.
I don't get why Angelina worried so much about her kid. It's not like Kenya is going to run out of kids for her to adopt.
