The Changeling Review

We walked out on The Changeling, disgusted and horrified.
What a disappointment, to wait all week to go see a movie, carefully select the one you want from the descriptions and "star" ratings, then pay big bucks to go inside and get . . .
disgusted and freaked out.   I don't believe in paying money to be exposed to story lines like this one, and I don't care that it's based on a true story, and I don't care that it was a popular book first.   I"m a Clint Eastwood fan, but I can't believe he made this movie.  And Angelina . . . what were you THINKING?  Life is hard enough for your audience without our paying to be abused.

For the record:  I have only walked out on 4 movies in my whole life, and I go at least once a week!!


SPOILER ALERT:  READ NO FURTHER IF YOU DON"T WANT A CLUE

The Changeling is based on a true story that occured in and near L.A. in the 1930s or so.
All the reviews will tell you is that Miss Jolie plays a woman whose child disappears.   What they conveniently leave out is that the story includes a sick kidnapper who kidnaps, abuses, and kills little boys, hacking them to death in front of each other in a chicken coop while they scream and scream.  Now if THAT sounds like your idea of a good time, by all means, go reward this film with $20 of your hard-earned cash.  Violence against children is not something I'm going to pay to watch, and my husband willingingly followed me right out the theater door, with an upset stomach from what he'd just seen.

The story is based on a true story (which you can read more about on Wikipedia or by buying the book).  The talented Mr. Eastwood's motivation?  I can only guess.  Perhaps he loves the notion of historic L.A.,, or hates corrupt policemen (this film is brimming with them) or is intrigued by the rise of feminism from gender injustices such as those shown in the film.  But in my humble opinion, there is just no reason in the world to make this film.  OR, if one feels compelled, as Miss Jolie and Mr. Eastwood obviously did, then there is NO need to include scenes of children being hacked to death, no matter what the camera angles are.  

Miss Jolie, for all her save-the-children attitude (and putting her money where her mouth is) has truly puzzled me by appearing in this film.  I understand that her character was a tortured soul and a theatrical challenge.   But I still don't get it. 

Incidentally, there is apparently also a nightmarishly gruesome execution scene - a hanging - that I'm soooo sorry I missed.  NOT !  

For the record, we were the only people who left the theater, so this opinion is obviously heavily outweighed.   But paying to see THAT?   :-P    What a disturbing waste of hard-earned money.   

The Bottom Line:  Libby Left It!