Changeling

I went into this movie with mixed expectations. On the one hand, a plus, directed by Clint Eastwood. He just keeps getting better and better. On the other hand, potential minus, I had previously read that it was an Oscar-fishing attempt, and I also feared cliche melodrama. In the end, I was cautiously impressed. There were a few over-the-top hysterical scenes by Angie (though in general she fit the role wonderfully, particularly her physicality); I have some level of sympathy for these scenes, because how can one ever really internalize the pain of a mother loosing her child, and through such a Kafkaesque sequence of events? In the end, I think I have to give these scenes a thumbs down though, since the ultimate concern is not the accuracy of the scene, but rather its verisimilitude, and these scenes took me out of the film. Also, there were a number of annoying cliches, like the heavyset unsympathetic mental hospital nurse. And the film was a bit too long; more editing would have helped.

Now for the positives. The period immersion was excellent. I'm not an expert on these things, but I did not notice any obvious anachronisms. And the theme, how all the different aspects of power function in a society, was deftly woven into an otherwise straightforward narrative. I particularly liked the turn around regarding assumption of guilt (from a sympathetic to unsympathetic character) and how this places the audience in a morally ambiguous place. Also, bonus points to Eastwood/Howard for not hedging their attribution (that is, it was clearly declared "a true story" rather than something like "inspired by a true story," as was Howard's total failure, A Beautiful Mind).

And as for Oscar-bait, there was one fun self-referential moment which shows some humor. I won't give it away, but look for it if you decide to give this a chance.