By Karyn L. Beach

Clint Eastwood is arguably the most successful actor to make the transition to director. In this millennia alone, he’s given us Million Dollar Baby, Letters from Iwo Jima, Flags of Our Fathers, and Mystic River among others. He’s back at the helm for the Angelina Jolie melodrama Changeling.

Based on a true story, Angelina Jolie plays Christine Collins, who, in 1928, was a single-mother working as a supervisor at the phone company. She comes home one evening to find that her 9-year-old son Walter (Gattlin Griffith) has disappeared. Immediately, she goes to the police, and since she lives in Los Angeles, that means she went to the LAPD. And, anyone who has watched a movie about Los Angeles or is familiar with current events knows that the LAPD can be a dangerous proposition. Captain J.J. Jones (Burn Notice’s Jeffrey Donovan) assures Christine that they will find her son and find him they do. Three months later, they find the boy who has been found with a drifter in DeKalb, IL. The mother and child reunion is short-lived however when Christine lays eyes on the little boy and knows it is not her son. She immediately objects, but Captain Jones convinces her to give the boy 'a trial run' to which she reluctantly agrees.

However, it is abundantly clear that this is not her son. The boy's own school teacher doesn’t recognize him, he’s 4 inches shorter than he was when he left and the family dentist can state unequivocally that this boy's teeth are completely different. Desperate not to look foolish, the police and all kinds of 'experts' try to convince her that the boy is hers.

She finds an ally in Reverend Gustav Briegleb (John Malkovich). The holy man is on a crusade against corruption in the LAPD and takes up Christine's cause. However, around the same time, Juvenile Detective Lester Ybarra (Michael Kelly) stumbles upon the case of a lifetime: a serial killer, Gordon Northcott (Jason Butler Harner) who may have killed as many as 20 young boys with his nephew and unwilling accomplice Sanford Clark (Eddie Alderson).

Changeling was a riveting film. Eastwood doesn't go overboard in any way shape or form. The story itself is so disturbing that he doesn't have to make it anything other than what it is. What happens to Christine as she searches for her son is chilling to watch. And the storyline with Northcott and Clark was just as disturbing.

At over two hours in length, I felt the time just float by. I've seen my share of 90-minute stinkers and I am painfully aware how long an hour-and-a half can be. So when a movie clocking in at over two hours seems to fly by that is a good sign.

Jolie was excellent here and I don't think I've ever used Jolie and excellent in the same sentence. If she isn't nominated for an Oscar, I will be very surprised. Malkovich was good too. A lot of times, I feel that John Malkovich is playing John Malkovich but here I thought he did a good job of playing against that type. I think the performance that impressed me the most is that of Eddie Alderson. Alternatively scared and remorseful, he did an amazing job for such a young actor.

With Changeling, Clint Eastwood scores again.