Changeling

Vaihdokas / Changeling (SE). US (c) 2008 Universal. P: Clint Eastwood, Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Robert Lorenz. D+M: Clint Eastwood. SC: J. Michael Straczynski. DP: Tom Stern - shot on 35mm - digital intermediate - 2,35:1 - color. PD: James J. Murakami. COST: Deborah Hopper. ED: Joel Cox, Gary Roach. LOC: California. CAST: Angelina Jolie (Christine Collins), John Malkovich (Gustav Briegleb), Jeffrey Donovan (J.J. Jones), Colm Feore (James E. Davis), Jason Butler Harner (Gordon Northcott), Amy Ryan (Carol Dexter). 144 min. Released by Finnkino with Finnish / Swedish subtitles by Jaana Wiik / Janne Staffans. Viewed at Tennispalatsi 3, 9 Jan 2009. - A digi-mastered look, bleached, pared down, not visually of the best Clint Eastwood standard. - Another strong Clint Eastwood film. He has been at his best in this decade (Mystic River, Million Dollar Baby, two Iwo Jima films). Changeling would be unbelievable if it weren't a true story of a woman who's son is kidnapped and who receives via the police another boy who isn't hers. Then a farm is discovered with the corpses of 20 murdered boys. And still many years later a boy believed lost is found who tells what happened. - This is the story of a heroic mother who refuses to give up, is put into an insane asylum, and, still fighting, causes changes in the police system and in legislation. - It is good to see Angelina Jolie in a role that is powerful in a completely different way than Lara Croft. - There is a convincing period feel (1928-1935) in the film. - In the music I enjoyed the jazz for horns, but the strings were dragging. Clint Eastwood's tempo is slow, refreshingly so in comparison with the ultra-fast cutting of some current films, yet the film might be brisker. - There is a special emphasis when Clint Eastwood makes a film about LAPD being the most corrupt police department and about our protectors having become our brutalizers.