Product Description

Angelina Jolie, Colm Feore, Jason Butler Harner, Jeffrey Donovan, Amy RyanDirector: Clint Eastwood

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2049 in DVD
• Brand: Blu-ray Drama
• Released on: 2009-03-30
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Format: PAL
• Subtitled in: English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, Swedish, Danish, Finnish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese, Mandarin Chinese
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .26 pounds
• Running time: 142 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Clint Eastwood’s mastery as a director, established over the past decade and a half with Unforgiven, Million Dollar Baby, Letters from Iwo Jima, and others, continues with Changeling, a 2008 offering based on a shocking but all-too-true story about child abduction and police corruption in 1920s Los Angeles. Single mother Christine Collins (Angelina Jolie, excellent in a role with somewhat limited parameters) finds her 9-year-old son, Walter, missing when she returns home from work one day. She files a report with the Los Angeles Police Department, an outfit that was wildly unpopular at the time (in his regular radio broadcast, a crusading pastor played by John Malkovich decries the force as "violent and corrupt," adding that "our protectors are our brutalisers"). When a child roughly matching Walter’s description turns up in Illinois five months later, the LAPD, intent on salvaging its tattered reputation, is only too eager to claim that he is Collins’ missing child. Little matters that he’s three inches shorter, is circumcised (Walter wasn’t), and fails to pass muster with Walter’s dentist, schoolteacher, and others; the cops, in particular the odious Captain J.J. Jones (Jeffrey Donovan), insist that the mistake is Christine’s, not theirs. What follows is almost too nightmarish to believe--except that it actually happened. Exasperated by Collins’ continued claim that "Walter" is a fraud, they trot out a doctor to reinforce the bogus ID, declare her unfit as a mother, and finally have her committed to a local psychopathic ward. Through it all, Collins, bolstered by the pastor and thousands of outraged Angelenos, refuses to sign a document that would exonerate the police for their egregious error. As for Walter, it’s only when the LAPD’s seemingly only honest detective (Michael Kelly) takes matters into his own hands that the grisly mystery of the child’s fate begins to be solved. That would have been a good place for the film to conclude, too. Unfortunately, it goes on for more than another half hour, with innumerable false endings that add nothing to the story and could just as easily have been summarised with a few sentences before the final credits. That flaw aside (and it’s a major one), Changeling is a powerful film, with a realistic period feel, a wonderfully muted vibe and color palette, and an understated score by Eastwood himself. --Sam Graham

Synopsis
Though the pedigree--a screenplay from Babylon 5's J. Michael Straczynski--might suggest a science fiction film, The Changeling is a historical thriller in the vein of L.A. Confidential or Chinatown and is directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Clint Eastwood. Angelina Jolie stars as a mother whose son disappears in 1928 Los Angeles. When he returns months later, she realizes that he is not her child.

Customer Reviews

fascinating - a splendid performance by Angelina Jolie
I did not have high expectations I have to admit. But within a few minutes I got hooked and enjoyed every minute of it. Angelina Jolie's performance was amazing: kind of shy, subdued, but powerful and gripping, maybe a bit too many tears. The story is gripping, well told, great turns. In short: this is a movie one can only recommend.

This is the most amazing film based on a true story.
For me Clint Eastwood is the biggest icon in Hollywood today because he has acted in and directed so many classic films over his very long career. Changeling is one of Eastwoods best films as a director and is based on the most amazing yet very shocking true story. Angelina Jolie plays the role of Christine Collins in which her son goes missing for five months. When she is reunited with her son there is a big problem because it isn't her boy. So many different things go wrong for Mrs Collins in this harrowing film because of all the corruption within the LAPD during the 1920's. I must say Eastwood captures Los Angeles during this time period perfectly and gets the best out of all of his actors especially Angelina Jolie who was most excellent. Changeling may not be a very uplifting film but don't let that put you off because it really is a brilliant movie and should become a classic.

Changeling - Blu-ray Info
Version: U.S.A / Universal / Region A, B, C
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
VC-1 BD-50 / AACS / Advanced Profile 3
Running time: 2:21:54
Movie size: 33,61 GB
Disc size: 37,72 GB
Total bit rate: 31.58 Mbps
Average video bit rate: 24.39 Mbps

DTS-HD Master Audio English 3440 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 3440 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
DTS Audio French 768 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 24-bit
DTS Express English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / 24-bit

Subtitles: English SDH / French / Spanish
Number of chapters: 20

#Partners in Crime: Clint Eastwood & Angelina Jolie (HD - 13m:33s)
#The Common Thread: Angelina Jolie Becomes Christine Collins (HD - 4m:58s)
#U-Control Picture-in-Picture

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Version: International / Universal / Region A, B, C
Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, French DTS 5.1, German DTS 5.1, Italian DTS 5.1, Japanese DTS 5.1, Spanish DTS 5.1
Subtitles: Danish, Dutch, English SDH, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Traditional Mandarin