So, I’m late on the Oscar bandwagon but I’m getting momentum (this year, I’ve already seen 15 new movies, whew!). In any case, I was really interested in seeing this 1920s drama based on the true story of Christine Collins, a single mother who comes home from work to find her 9 year old son Walter missing, nowhere to be found. Of course, she calls the police straight away, and the police immediately are in a huff, almost exasperated telling her that all little boys are rebellious, he’ll come back home. But she’d have to wait at least 24 hours before reporting him as missing. She isn’t a wallflower, or precious single mother; she constantly talks to the police (or in their eyes, ‘harasses’ them) for answers, and prods them to keep searching.

Several months later; a boy shows up. Immediately, we do know the boy isn’t Walter. He looks a little bit like him; but its not him. The police make a big song & dance about it and hooray, they’ve found a boy! When they promote the renion, and pay for his return as he’s been found interstate; she pauses, she hesitates. That is not my son, she says. The Captain in charge of the case, played quite well by Jeffrey Donovan (of Burn Notice fame) tells her, oh, its been a few months , he’s grown.

She takes him home reluctantly, and something is off. His manners are off, he is shorter, and upon running a bath for him, he’s also been circumcised. Something Walter was not. Of course, she reports it; someone else must be missing a boy. Walter is still missing.

From here, the film turns into more than a drama; what is it? I can’t even describe it. A thriller? No, not quite. A suspense? Possibly, but what makes it chilling is that it is true. For publicising the fact, and getting Walter’s teacher, or dentist to support her claims that the boy returned to her was not Walter; the police have her committed. Shock therapy is introduced, and upon talking to other not-so-crazy women, she discovers there are many women that had spoken out against the LAPD, and found themselves committed for their efforts.

With help from an activist priest, played by John Malkovich, who recognises that she just wants to find her son, he sets about in also promoting her plight, and speaking out quite passionately against the corruption of the LAPD.

Then.. the film diverges into another, when a boy taken into custody for being suspected of being an illegal immigrant, confesses to being an accomplice to several molestations, and murders of young boys by his uncle; once of which is said to be Walter. The killer is captured quite easily (seemingly) and Clint Eastwood has said that whilst the killer’s story could have easily been a movie, and he was certainly.. charismatic and chilling enough for it to be a story; he was more interested, and would only come on board if the movie focussed on Christine’s story.

Angelina plays her with so much credibility, and with so much rawness, I can see why she said that she hesitated in accepting this role, considering she has 6 young children of her own. The fact that she continued searching, even when there didn’t seem to be hope, even when the killer gave her no closure in knowing whether Walter was a victim or not; she never gave up. The Oscar nomination was absolutely correct for Angelina. (At least more worthy than Brad Pitt was of his nomination for Benjamin Button, I’m afraid to say)

The 1920s setting alone is gorgeous, and I love that Angelina in her role as telephone switchboard manager was on rollerskates; why isn’t that still around? The costumes were stunning, Clint Eastwood’s score was understated and delicate, and the supporting cast was so strong. When Ebert reviewed Changeling, I love that he says when the boy that poses as Walter is questioned as to why he impersonated the boy; when he gives the reason as to why, you almost want to hug him. The supporting cast that play the boys, and Jason Butler Harner as the killer Northcott are stand-outs and make this a compelling must see.

Related Posts

• The Road – don’t travel it alone
• He’s a bad motha** (Shut yo mouth!)
• Lars & the Real Girl – a review
• Harry Potter & The Half Blood Prince… almost here!
• Balibo – Coming Soon
• A Shopaholic-a Review
• My Bloody Valentine 3D – a Review
• Milk – a Review
• Capote – a review
• The Yes Man – a review