... and the horse you rode in on.
URGA MOTW
Changeling
It's been quite some time since we've been to the movies (nothing much good on), and so this was a welcome return to the regular Tuesday night dinner and movie session.
Changeling is not really our usual movie fair - it's a period drama set in the 1920's/1930's, it's based on a true story, and there's no hint of any sort of monsters, aliens, spaceships, or animated robots. However, my main impetus for seeing it was the screenplay writer, J. Michael Straczynski, whom you may know as the creator/writer of Babylon 5. Of course, it had plenty of other drawcards - directed by Clint Eastwood, and starting Angelina Jolie and Jeffrey Donovan (from Burn Notice).
The story: In March of 1928, Christine Collins (Jolie), a single mother, is called in to work on a Saturday, leaving her 9 year old son Walter at home alone. When she gets home that evening, he's nowhere to be found. She of course reports him missing, and continues to call the police every few days to find out if they now anything new. In August, there's some good news - they've found a boy matching Walter's description and police Captain Jones (Donovan) takes Christine to the train station for a happy reunion with her son... except, the boy isn't her son. The police insist that it's been some time and he's gone through some changes, and she eventually relents and takes him home. However, as time passes it becomes more apparent that this is definitely not Walter (even though he says he is) and her pleas to the police fall on deaf ears - as far as they're concerned, it's case closed and she's the only one who doesn't think the boy is her son.
It is a fascinating look into the corruption and injustice of the LAPD in the late 1920's, and a story I'd not heard before (yep, it is true). Cinematically the film looks authentic, and the dialogue is well written and conveys the plot without having to rely on any narration. Donovan is brilliant as the hard nose police Captain who just wants himself and the department to look good, rather than caring about the truth or justice. However, there are some less wonderful aspects to this movie - for me, the storytelling seemed a little bland. We were always following the story from the perspective of an outside observer - there were few opportunities where we really felt tied up in the emotions of the characters. And Jolie, usually a very good dramatic actress when she wants to be, doesn't really show the full range of emotions you may expect from someone of her calibre. There's only crying, angry, and stoic...
On the whole, it was rather enjoyable, but with a little tighter directing I believe it could have been a little bit better.
7/10
Changeling
It's been quite some time since we've been to the movies (nothing much good on), and so this was a welcome return to the regular Tuesday night dinner and movie session.
Changeling is not really our usual movie fair - it's a period drama set in the 1920's/1930's, it's based on a true story, and there's no hint of any sort of monsters, aliens, spaceships, or animated robots. However, my main impetus for seeing it was the screenplay writer, J. Michael Straczynski, whom you may know as the creator/writer of Babylon 5. Of course, it had plenty of other drawcards - directed by Clint Eastwood, and starting Angelina Jolie and Jeffrey Donovan (from Burn Notice).
The story: In March of 1928, Christine Collins (Jolie), a single mother, is called in to work on a Saturday, leaving her 9 year old son Walter at home alone. When she gets home that evening, he's nowhere to be found. She of course reports him missing, and continues to call the police every few days to find out if they now anything new. In August, there's some good news - they've found a boy matching Walter's description and police Captain Jones (Donovan) takes Christine to the train station for a happy reunion with her son... except, the boy isn't her son. The police insist that it's been some time and he's gone through some changes, and she eventually relents and takes him home. However, as time passes it becomes more apparent that this is definitely not Walter (even though he says he is) and her pleas to the police fall on deaf ears - as far as they're concerned, it's case closed and she's the only one who doesn't think the boy is her son.
It is a fascinating look into the corruption and injustice of the LAPD in the late 1920's, and a story I'd not heard before (yep, it is true). Cinematically the film looks authentic, and the dialogue is well written and conveys the plot without having to rely on any narration. Donovan is brilliant as the hard nose police Captain who just wants himself and the department to look good, rather than caring about the truth or justice. However, there are some less wonderful aspects to this movie - for me, the storytelling seemed a little bland. We were always following the story from the perspective of an outside observer - there were few opportunities where we really felt tied up in the emotions of the characters. And Jolie, usually a very good dramatic actress when she wants to be, doesn't really show the full range of emotions you may expect from someone of her calibre. There's only crying, angry, and stoic...
On the whole, it was rather enjoyable, but with a little tighter directing I believe it could have been a little bit better.
7/10