Big, Beautiful Changeling

It occurs to me that this film has been all but written off by most in the Best Picture department, which is somewhat bizarre since I think it will end up looking wonderful in retrospect. It may be Eastwood’s most horrific film ever and, in some ways, an interesting partner film to Mystic River being that both films deal with good vs. evil and more specifically, (SPOILERS) the murders of children, the molestation of children. I find Eastwood’s and screenwriter J. Michael Straczynski take on the “Wineville Chicken Coop Murders” quite interesting. The sideplot of Christine Collins as do-gooder suits actress Angelina Jolie and gives the film a positive message when it finally comes to an agonizing close.

Changeling is a good movie. It’s a lot better than it was reviewed. When the nominations roll around what ought not to be forgotten are the costumes, the art direction and of course, the cinematography. Jolie seems a likely nominee at this point, as does perhaps the screenwriter, especially with an original, rather than adapted, screenplay.

Eastwood is held in high esteem and often that makes the expectations for his films simply too high. This is why, I believe, Changeling is being buzzed as one of the top contenders for all of the major categories; that, and Eastwood has another film in the loading dock.