Feb 02, 2009 05:45 PM
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(Updated Feb 27, 2009 11:50 AM)
Changeling: The word means “a child surreptitiously or unintentionally substituted for another”. And that’s what can depict the story of this movie. This movie is based on a true story. It’s based on a 1928 case called “Wineville Chicken Coop Murders” and stars Angelina Jolie in the lead role. Angi plays a single mother Christin Collins who lives with her 9 year old son Walter in LA. On one unfortunate evening, Christin returns home after work to find her son missing. She files a police complaint and makes every effort to find her son, but is unable to trace him.
After several months’ hunt, the police claims to have found Walter. The ecstatic Christin eagerly goes to receive Walter but she is shocked to see that the boy who police have found is not her son! She protests, but the officer Mr. Jones “explains” her threateningly that she is too “shocked” to make any judgement and the child’s identity is confirmed by their “experts”. Startled Christin is forced to take the boy home. She then gathers various evidences and testimonies of Walter’s teachers and doctors about the conformation that the boy found by Police is not Walter.
Mr. Jones refuses to believe her claims for the fear of embarrassment that this mistake can put the police department through. Disappointed Christin then goes to the press and tells them about the mistake of police department. To avoid public outrage and hide their shameful mistake, Mr. Jones gets Christin arrested and put in a mental asylum. She goes through gruesome abuse there and is subjected to every torture to break her determination to fight. Through her inmates, she learns that the only fault of most of the ladies in the asylum was “going against the Police”.
Christin manages to get out of the asylum with the help of a social activist and huge public support. She then vows to tech a lesson to the police and let people know about malpractices of LA police department and files a lawsuit against LAPD, which she eventually wins.
In the mean time, police captures a psychopath serial child killer, who had allegedly murdered 20 kids. Was Walter one of the murdered kids or was he still alive? I wouldn’t disclose the answers here. Watch the movie to find out. Rest of the story shows Christin’s quest to find truth about Walter.
The movie excels in all the departments: be it script, direction, editing, cinematography, acting etc. It’s flawlessly made and doesn’t have even a single dull moment. Angelina’s acting is marvellous. She gives an award winning performance and shines in the movie despite being in an unglamorous role.
Movie makes have done a fantastic job in creating realistic depiction of LA of 1928. This is probably one of the best thrillers made in recent times. Some of the scenes are hair rising such as Angi’s torture scenes in the asylum, killer’s execution scene, children’s murder scene etc.
The only negative aspect of the movie is Angi’s make up. Angelina is probably one of the most beautiful actresses of the Hollywood. But, the red lipstick and black eye shadow make her look absolutely hideous.
Definitely recommended. Don’t miss this cinematic excellence.
