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Changeling [DVD] [2008]

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Director: Clint Eastwood
Actors: Angelina Jolie, Gattlin Griffith, Michelle Martin, Jan Devereaux
Studio: Universal Pictures UK
Category: DVD

List Price: ~~£19.99~~
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New (15) Used (5) from £3.30

Seller: Amazon.co.uk
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

67 reviews
Sales Rank: 186

Format: PAL
Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Region: 2
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 142 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.4 x 0.6

EAN: 5050582602708
ASIN: B001IZZ07O

Theatrical Release Date: 2008
Release Date: March 30, 2009
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours

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Editorial Reviews:

Amazon.co.uk Review
Clint Eastwoodrsquo;s mastery as a director, established over the past decade and a half with emUnforgiven, Million Dollar Baby, Letters from Iwo Jima/em, and others, continues with emChangeling,/em a 2008 offering based on a shocking but all-too-true story about child abduction and police corruption in 1920s Los Angeles. Single mother Christine Collins (Angelina Jolie, excellent in a role with somewhat limited parameters) finds her 9-year-old son, Walter, missing when she returns home from work one day. She files a report with the Los Angeles Police Department, an outfit that was wildly unpopular at the time (in his regular radio broadcast, a crusading pastor played by John Malkovich decries the force as "violent and corrupt," adding that "our protectors are our brutalizers"). When a child roughly matching Walterrsquo;s description turns up in Illinois five months later, the LAPD, intent on salvaging its tattered reputation, is only too eager to claim that he is Collinsrsquo; missing child. Little matters that hersquo;s three inches shorter, is circumcised (Walter wasnrsquo;t), and fails to pass muster with Walterrsquo;s dentist, schoolteacher, and others; the cops, in particular the odious Captain J.J. Jones (Jeffrey Donovan), insist that the mistake is Christinersquo;s, not theirs. What follows is almost too nightmarish to believe--except that it actually happened. Exasperated by Collinsrsquo; continued claim that "Walter" is a fraud, they trot out a doctor to reinforce the bogus ID, declare her unfit as a mother, and finally have her committed to a local psychopathic ward. Through it all, Collins, bolstered by the pastor and thousands of outraged Angelenos, refuses to sign a document that would exonerate the police for their egregious error. As for Walter, itrsquo;s only when the LAPDrsquo;s seemingly only honest detective (Michael Kelly) takes matters into his own hands that the grisly mystery of the childrsquo;s fate begins to be solved. That would have been a good place for the film to conclude, too. Unfortunately, it goes on for more than another half hour, with innumerable false endings that add nothing to the story and could just as easily have been summarised with a few sentences before the final credits. That flaw aside (and itrsquo;s a major one), emChangeling /emis a powerful film, with a realistic period feel, a wonderfully muted vibe and color palette, and an understated score by Eastwood himself. --emSam Graham/em

Customer Reviews:

Showing reviews 1-5 of 67

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"I want MY son!" November 1, 2008
Kona (Emerald City)
85 out of 94 found this review helpful

Angelina Jolie stars as Christine Collins whose nine-year old son vanished from their Los Angeles home in 1928. She met with little cooperation from the police, and when they finally found the boy and brought him back home, she said, "That's not my son." br / br /This movie was based on a true story and directed by Clint Eastwood in a gritty, no-frills style. There isn't a lot of action, but it definitely holds your interest until the very end. Jolie gives a strong performance as the mother who wouldn't stop looking for her son, even when she battled the corrupt police chief. Jolie is on-screen just about every minute and is a formidable screen presence. She and the rest of the cast, including John Malkovich, are all good in this very somber and intense piece. br / br /The costumes, sets, and locations are perfectly done in 1920s style and the photography uses a lot of natural light adding to the old-fashioned feel. The movie about a mother's love and police corruption is fascinating, but it's also relentlessly grim and left me feeling quite depressed. A well-made movie, though.

5 out of 5 stars

Takes its place amongst the first rank of Eastwood's work February 6, 2009
Rob (Oxford, UK)
22 out of 24 found this review helpful

Changeling is a gripping movie for adults - 'manna for grown ups' as one reviewer rightly called it. Angelina Jolie turns in a terrific performance as Christine Collins, a demure single mother in 1920's Los Angeles whose missing son becomes a rallying point for the oppressed citizens of LA, who are suffering under the boot of a ruthlessly corrupt police force mayoralty. br / br /But as Christine struggles with an impostor son that a disinterested LA police force has preposterously tried to fob her off with as her own there's a big twist when another young boy is arrested in a routine deportation case does he have a story to tell. A tale so horrifying that it would instantly qualify as any parents worst nightmare. When I saw this film in the cinema the packed out audience gasped - literally gasped out loud - during the confession scene between this kid the police officer. br / br /Jolie has never been quite this good she brings a fantastic larger than life movie star presence to her role. She's a terrific actress in the body of a goddess watching her evokes so much of the spirit of a Rita Hayworth or a Joan Crawford in their luminous prime. But she's not the only star here. One of the great pleasures of Changeling is watching so many unknown character actors given the chance to strut their stuff boy do they take it. br / br /The script is just as outstanding, moving effortlessly from one genre to another - part period crime thriller, part psycho ward drama, part serial killer movie, part courtroom procedural. It begins small then expands to take in political corruption, the status of women in the 1920's, the way children adults view the same event, the satisfaction (or not) of capital punishment. What's most impressive is the way Clint Eastwood orchestrates all of this because Changeling shifts gears so smoothly that one remains completely transfixed, indeed amazed, throughout. br / br /Changeling represents a notable development in Eastwood's evolution as a filmmaker. Never before has he handled such a sprawling, multi-stranded story with such ease confidence. br / br /There's also a real sense of anger as Eastwood leaves us in no doubt how he feels about the way Collins - the other female victims of the pernicious Code 12 - were treated by the authorities. As much as Changeling is a hugely enjoyable picture, true life stories in which authorities such as the police social services victimise single mothers, in order to conceal their own incompetence dealing with children at risk, mean that Changeling carries a genuine contemporary resonance as a cautionary tale. br / br /Amazon's editorial review suggests the film goes on to long sags in the final stretch. I couldn't disagree more. In fact I think this is one of the best edited movies I have seen in a long while. The multiple storylines shifting emotional moods are so well captured by Joel Cox Gary Roach's editing that they deserved an Oscar nomination. The technical aspects are also top notch throughout how pleasing it is to see a period piece in which the sets costumes never once overwhelm the characters or the story. Eastwood's lovely score is the icing on the cake. br / br /Changeling was the first of two masterful Eastwood movies in 2008, the other being Gran Torino. Both come highly recommended for those hungering for movies the way they used to make 'em ( I mean that in the best possible sense).

5 out of 5 stars

Masterpiece of the film-maker's craft January 2, 2009
hw (uk)
14 out of 19 found this review helpful

The year is 1928. When Christine Collins' 9 year old son Walter vanishes from their home in suburban Los Angeles, normality crumbles around her. br / br /After months of anguish, hope is restored when police Captain J.J. Jones gives Christine the news that Walter has been found and escorts her to the station for an emotional public reunion. That's when the real nightmare begins. Christine swears that the boy isn't her son. The police refuse to believe her: the last thing that the institutionally corrupt LAPD needs is bad publicity. br / br /Dealing with emotive and disturbing themes including child abduction, murder and the control of "socially deviant" women by powerful, "rational" men, the film draws its dramatic strength from a well-paced, almost understated, narrative. It is probably fair to say that, whilst it does not set out to shock, the film does contain scenes which some people will find distressing. br / br /High production values, giving a strong sense of time and place, combine with flawless performances and a first rate script to make Changeling a masterpiece of the film-maker's craft.

5 out of 5 stars

Deep, profound masterpiece ! December 1, 2008
A. Macpherson (Bolton UK)
7 out of 10 found this review helpful

Clint Eastwood delivers a profound story which digs deep into the psyche and soul.The stately storytelling carries more weight than most popcorn Holywood "entertainment" can begin to muster. Cast, cinematography, direction, music and production values are all top notch, making the experience totally believable. Clint Eastwood's splendid late flowering continues with "Changeling", and you are left with the comforting feeling that you are in the wise and mature hands of a majestic film-maker.Brilliant!!

5 out of 5 stars

masterpiece January 2, 2009
Mr. R. W. Graham (Lincoln, U.K.)
4 out of 6 found this review helpful

this is one of the best films of the year, and almost certain to garauntee that angelina jolie gets the best actress oscar. an absolutely amazing film from start to finish. clint eastwood is one of the best directors in hollwood, turning out one great film after another. ok, we'll skip blood work, that was a minor blip, but even so, his track record speaks for itself. br /his films may be slow, but eastwood certainly knows how to tell a good story. every single performance is excellent, not just jolie, who reminds us all just how good an actress she really is. it's a shocking and harrowing film that's bound to move you. if not, then i'm afraid you really do just have a heart of stone. screenwriter j.michael strazinsci, best known for creating the classic sci fi series babylon 5, writes an astonishing debut feature script, and deserves an oscar himself. expect this to get loads of oscars. oh,and the period detail is amazing as well. brilliant. highly reccommended.

Showing reviews 1-5 of 67

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