It’s not difficult to tell when a film is fishing for an Oscar, and that effort sometimes pays off. But Changeling, the new film from veteran auteur Clint Eastwood, tries a bit too hard. The film opens with charming music, a quaint black and white sequence and a date, setting it in the late 1920s. Yet up until its midway point, the only truly noticeable thing about Changeling is the ridiculous amount of tears shed when Jolie repeatedly exclaims, "He's not my son! I want my son!" The same bad ass dame who cinematically defined Lara Croft whines more than Frodo schlepping up Mt. Doom. Jolie must have had severe dehydration during shooting: nearly every scene involves waterworks.
Though the movie relies heavily on its star power — John Malkovich makes good use of his ability to simultaneously be both opportunistic and charming — Eastwood also cast some talented but lesser-known actors. Jeffrey Donovan puts on an impressive Irish-American accent and plays the snaky bad guy well; Michael Kelly, probably best known for his turn in HBO’s Generation Kill, impresses in his role as the unlikely hero. Of course, Kelly's scant amount of screen time does suggest that this is not the feel-good movie of the season. In fact, Changeling is a melodramatic mess, filled with crying women and evil villains, but it does keep its audience captivated throughout. If Million Dollar Baby has taught us anything, it's that Eastwood knows how to pull at America's heartstrings. The audience leaves the theater feeling totally manipulated — and totally satisfied.
