Feeling less grumpy than the last post. Mainly to do with my friends Grania, Ellen and Suzie than the two new cats.
Went to see The Changeling last night. If you want to go through an emotional wringer then I suggest you see it. Angelina Jolie, usually seen with either a gun or Brad Pitt strapped to her thighs, played the part of Christine who one morning says goodbye to her son, Walter, and departed for work, she never anticipated that this was the day her life would be forever changed.
Upon returning home, Christine discovered Walter was nowhere to be found.
Over the course of the following months, she launched a search that would ultimately prove fruitless. Yet just when it seemed that all hope was lost, a nine-year-old boy claiming to be Christine's son seemed to appear out of thin air.
Overcome with emotion and uncertain how to face the authorities or the press, Christine invites the child to stay in her home despite knowing without a doubt that he is not her son.
As much as Christine would like to accept the fact that her son has been returned to her, she cannot accept the injustice being pushed upon her and continues to challenge the Prohibition-era corrupt Los Angeles police force at every turn. As a result, Christine is slandered by the powers that be, and painted as an unfit mother.
In this town, a woman who challenges the system is putting her life on the line, and as the situation grows desperate, the only person willing to aid her in her search is benevolent local activist Reverend Briegleb (John Malkovich).
Angelina does tend to over-dramatise her emotions and seems to bear every hope and fear wearing black eyeliner (smudged, perfect or running) and does not really represent the working class, husband in prison 'real' Christine Collins. Bit of a 'bums on seats' scenario here I think.
John Malkovich steals the movie with his restrained and beautifully crafted acting. The sets and costumes are immaculate - sometimes Disney-esque in their perfection.
The film is directed by Clint Eastwood and his direction, the camerawork and editing hold the audience through love, fear, hope, disgust, shock, and bewilderment.
The film is also frustrating to the audience as now DNA would have solved the mystery from the beginning and it is hard to put yourself in a world where the police are corrupt and women are second-class citizens (hang on a minute - sounds a bit like now).
The weakest actor in the film is Jason Butler Harner who plays the psychopathic paedophile. There is a cameo role for Morgan Eastwood as 'girl on tricycle' - not the kind of film I would want to put my child in.
Would I recommend this movie - yes and no. Yes, to see Angelina Jolie take on a demanding role and no because her performance belies the true Christine Collins and gives little benevolence toward Walter Collins. No, because of the over-shots of gruesome violence and a very explicit execution.
Also Eastwood chooses to leave out a number of important issues to do with the case which would have given more impact to the story line and would have been of more interest than the gruesome violence etc. This would have made the film into a more compelling and intricate true story rather than the edited version Eastwood chose which ultimately makes it a 'based on a true story'.
The real Christine Collins died in 1964. She always believed her son was still alive and the possibility of that could be true. He could have been so traumatised by the events that anything could have happened to him. Maybe he sat in a movie house somewhere and watched the film. Stranger things have happened.
I would like to take this opportunity to remind you of my friend's son Luke Durbin who disappeared on 12 May 2006 in Ipswich. His photo is shown above.
