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Changeling (2008)

changeling (2008) movie poster 3 out of 5 rating  (3/5) thriller

Reference: imdb6 | wikipedia12

Reviews: Roger Ebert (3.5 of 4) | IMDb External Reviews | Rotten Tomatoes 61% | Metacritic 63%

In The Changeling (2008), Angelina Jolie plays Christine Collins, a pre-depression era single mom whose only child (Gattlin Griffith) was kidnapped. The L.A. police return a boy that is not her son, they know it, and they expect her to raise this strange boy pretending it to be her son.  These plot elements are revealed within the first 15 minutes of the movie.

I couldn’t get past how preposterous the story was. I wondered to the end … how could a Hollywood script writer, write such a thing, how could Clint Eastwood agree to direct it, or Ron Howard produce it?

It turns out the movie was based on a true story! Yikes! I still find it hard to believe. Had I known this I likely would have appreciated the movie more. As it was I couldn’t get the idea out of my head how ludicrous it was.

changeling (2008) angelina jolie & gattlin griffith

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GRAN Torino (2008)

gran torino (2008) - poster 4.5rating  (4/5) drama

Reference: imdb6 | wikipedia12

Reviews: Roger Ebert (3.5/4) | IMDb External Reviews | Rotten Tomatoes 73% | Metacritic 73%

Clint Eastwood hits another home run. I agree with my friend Don Bennett who said on exiting the movie: “I was expecting a good movie and I got a very good movie.”

In Gran Torino (2008) Eastwood plays an aging and grizzled Korean War veteran coming to terms with the death of his wife, a changing neighbourhood, disappointing children and grand children, an Asian family that has moved in next door and, most importantly, his life.

gran torino (2008) - clint eastwood protects his lawn
In his sunset years, this aging Dirty Harry’esque character unexpectedly becomes friends with the young boy next store. The boy, competently played by Bee Vang is torn between gang-life and the straight and narrow.  More impressive is the performance of Ahney Her, his smart and feisty sister, who makes an effort to bridge the cultural divide.

Terrific movie. Probably not suitable for young children.