Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Changeling

This is topic Changeling in forum Film Handlers' Movie Reviews at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Carol May (Member # 4068) on 10-25-2008, 08:30 PM:

The only thing I'd change about Changeling is its name. I keep thinking it's a sci-fi movie.

It is a great movie, good ol' Clint comes through again. Being an Angeleno, it has special significance as well.

Performances are very good, costumes, setting, all on target. There are some cliches, but since the story moves along and is engrossing, it's not bothersome.

There are so many horrible things going on at the same time, lesser directors would just wind up with clutter, but Clint connects them well and glides smoothly from one to another. It's another long movie (140 min.) but doesn't feel like it. There aren't any scenes that aren't directly relevant to the story, so you stay with it all.

I might have changed the score to something closer to period. I did notice the usual Clint jazz a couple times, and that took me away from the movie. All around excellent, though.

Posted by Tom Petrov (Member # 1534) on 01-19-2009, 12:18 AM:

I finally saw it tonight.

If Clint Eastwoods other work like Unforgiven, Mystic River, Million Dollar Baby weren't so good then the Changeling would be brilliant.

Overall 4 out 5 stars. Excellent score by Eastwood as well.

Posted by Christian Appelt (Member # 1067) on 01-28-2009, 10:22 AM:

Excellent film, like Carol said, it doesn't feel that long.
Great performances by everyone in it, and it has been some time since I saw really sharp and detailed long shots like that. Perfect use of CGI to create vintage backgrounds, and a classic style of cinematography with nothing fancy but well composed shots.
Personally, I dislike the concept of desaturating colors for period stories and think they went to far with it, giving Angelina Jolie a clown-like appearance in many shots. But I guess that's what Eastwood wanted, and I'd consider this an almost perfect movie.