Los Angeles, 1928: Christine Collins (Angelina Jolie) is plunged into every mother's nightmare when her nine-yearold son disappears. A few months later, her grieffuelled prayers appear to have been answered when, amid media furore, she is reunited with the missing child. But something's not right. Despite the LAPD's repeated affirmations, Christine knows that this little boy is not her son. So begins this mother's desperate quest for the truth, fighting a system determined to silence her.
Clint Eastwood's latest directorial offering is a pedigree period thriller. Based on a true story, Changeling destroys the popular 1920s' notion that LA was the city of dreams. An intertwining of two stories, Eastwood uses the case of a missing child to reveal the ugly reality, exposing the cracks in LA's foundation, the LAPD. Riddled with corruption, the organisation is prepared to manipulate an investigation and destroy an innocent woman's life to rebuild its tarnished reputation.
Complex, but rewarding, the film is bolstered by searing performances. Angelina Jolie (and her perfect pout) earned a well-deserved Oscar nomination for her powerful portrayal of a woman who refuses to be beaten. But the star of the show is Eastwood, who has become one of America's finest directors. While the likes of Robert de Niro and Al Pacino have failed to capture the glory of their heyday, Eastwood is like a good wine, improving with age.
Changeling is a Film programme that first aired in 2008 and has been classified a 15 certificate.
