Starring: Angelina Jolie, John Malkovich, Jeffrey Donovan
Director: Clint Eastwood
Release Date: October 31, 2008
Running Time: 141 min
MPAA Rating: R
Distributor: Universal Films
Clint Eastwood, the greatest working director today, continues to display reasons why his films have the potential and audacity to gather like a quiet storm and later evolve to form a massive natural disaster. Unlike any director today, Eastwood manages to go beyond the surface of the true story of a woman searching for her lost son in 1928 Los Angeles by digging deep into his subject matter’s heart and finding gold in the unlikeliest of places. Time after time, he manages to show his ability of exploring darker situations and scenarios that aren’t neatly placed on the table at first glance. Watch Million Dollar Baby or Mystic River if you need reference. As Changeling moves towards its climax we experience plot revelations that deal with children being plagued of hatred and corruption at an early age. Slowly the film expands to a full sized portrait of a town that once produced dreams, to a town that toils with human emotions as a hobby.
Searching for her nine-year-old son Walter is Christine Collins, played fiercely by Angelina Jolie. Jolie’s ability to go through all of what Christine goes through is an act of endurance. Clocking in at 140 minutes her performance could’ve easily succumbed to melodrama and repetitiveness, but Jolie plays each scene as if it were her last. Giving new life and meaning to each of Christine’s soul searching scenes.
Christine leaves him home as she goes to work as a supervisor on skates at a telephone company. She returns home later in the day to find Walter missing. She calls the police department who reply that they can’t do anything until morning. Months later the department ushers in a boy from DeKalb, Ill., telling her that this boy is her son. The department, getting bashed recently by media, needs a feel good story to rekindle a new image for them. They will pursue this new image at any person’s expense.
Christine knows at first glance it’s not him but is persuaded by a tarnished soul with a police badge, Capt. J.J. Jones (Jeffrey Donovan in one of the film’s best performances). She’s persuaded eventually by Jones to take the boy for a “trial run” even though he’s 3 inches shorter, isn’t recognized by his school teacher and doesn’t have the same dental records as Christine’s Walter. Christine, hiding her face underneath that hat of hers, with the help of a radio preacher (John Malkovich), has to prevail and find right. Eastwood and screenwriter J. Michael Straczynski, by staying true to public records (which may be the films only flaw as it drags just a bit), follow this woman’s despairs as she stands up to the system only to find herself getting institutionalized for stating the facts and staying institutionalized for keeping her word and not giving in. Her ambition opens up a can of worms.
The LAPD is always pinpointed for achieving and carrying out deviant acts. Corruption follows them wherever they go and that corruption soon sets up shop internally, making it almost impossible to rid of it. L.A. Confidential, another film dealing with the corruption of the LAPD, ridded its corruption by killing everyone. Changeling though has to deal with their corruption being on a totally different platform. Where L.A. Confidential was corrupted with mobsters, money and drugs, Eastwood wants to channel something more dreaded; corruption that dwells and indulges on human emotions belonging to the weak.
A gun isn’t fired to make matters better. Eastwood, 78, a filmmaker of delicacy, relies on dialogue to resolve problems. This isn’t the spaghetti western, nor is Dirty Harry present in the L.A. area. There’s a powerful courtroom scene that showcases one of the film’s most intense performances by Christine’s lawyer played by Geoff Pierson; he willingly took Christine’s case. He’s one of many L.A. residents who gladly sided with Christine to bring down the law.
Beginning with the 1928 Universal logo, Changeling happens to satirize all of its color, abandoning the upstart energy of a dizzying L.A. so it can issue a bleak clarification of the events that will transpire. A simple tune, composed by Eastwood, consisting of a piano and guitar emphasize the disparity and bleakness. Films directed by Eastwood pay strict attention to detail; costumes, setting and color are all on the same page. These meticulous actions reflect a man who has become a perfectionist in his elder days. More importantly he has the patience to tell a good story.
Source
The goth-inspired Arkansas rock band Evanescence, with its Linkin Park-meets-Tori Amos sound backed by chugging guitars, easily made it to the top of the charts in 2003 with its Wind-Up Entertainment debut album, Fallen. Singer/pianist Amy Lee and guitarist/songwriter Ben Moody formed the band at the end of the '90s after meeting in their early teens during a "youth camp," Moody said in a statement. "I heard Amy playing Meat Loaf's 'I'd Do Anything for Love' at the piano. So I went over to meet her, and she started singing for me. I was pretty much blown away, so I suckered her into joining a band with me."
As a duo, Evanescence didn't perform live, instead opting to release EPs and the full-length Origin. Lee told the BBC that Evanescence was mastering demos in Memphis, TN, when she and the band were discovered by producer Pete Matthews. He shopped the songs to record companies in New York, and Evanescence -- rounded out by bassist Will Boyd, guitarist John LeCompt, and drummer Rocky Gray -- eventually landed a contract with Wind-Up, the home of Creed. The soundtrack to the 2003 Ben Affleck action movie Daredevil brought success to Evanescence; the begging "Bring Me to Life," which appeared on the soundtrack along with the ballad "My Immortal," became a hit. (Paul McCoy, of labelmates 12 Stones, rapped on "Bring Me to Life," which originated as a piano ballad.) The songs proved to be a head start to Evanescence's future hit album Fallen, produced by Dave Fortman (Boy Sets Fire, Superjoint Ritual) and released in March 2003.
Evanescence ran head first into controversy promoting Fallen. Originally, it was released in the Christian and secular markets; however, the band's use of profanity during an interview with Rolling Stone prompted its label, Wind-Up Records, to recall Fallen from Christian stores. Ironically, 12 Stones are also labeled Christian. Fallen surpassed double-platinum status, reaching the Top Ten in the United States, including the Top Contemporary Christian Albums chart, the Top Five in Canada, and number one in the United Kingdom. It spent more than 100 weeks on Billboard's Top 200; Evanescence also managed to pick up two Grammys (Best New Artist and Best Hard Rock Performance) for the 2003 awards.
During a European tour late that same year, however, Moody abruptly left the group over apparent creative differences. Ex-Cold guitarist Terry Balsamo soon replaced him in the band; he clicked with Lee and the two became cohesive songwriting partners who worked to further define Evanescence's classically influenced hard rock identity. The band continued to tour nonstop for the next year, and they issued the live album Anywhere But Home (recorded at a show in Paris) in November 2004 to hold over fans hungry for their follow-up. It also went platinum. More internal band drama ensued -- including Balsamo recovering from a stroke suffered in fall 2005 and Boyd's departure the following summer -- before that album, The Open Door, finally appeared in early October 2006. Tim McCord (ex-the Revolution Smile) joined up in Boyd's place that August, switching from his usual guitar to bass. Spearheaded by the single "Call Me When You're Sober," the album displayed a broader emotional range amid the band's evolving sound. Evanescence played several intimate theater dates immediately following the record's release before moving on to larger arena shows. ~ Christina Fuoco, All Music Guide
Source
Now high school seniors, Troy Bolton (Zac Efron) and Gabriella Montez (Vanessa Hudgens) are facing the prospect of being separated from each other as they go off in different directions when graduating from East High. Joined by the rest of their Wildcat friends, including Sharpay Evans (Ashley Tisdale), Ryan Evans (Lucas Grabeel), Chad Danforth (Corbin Bleu), and Taylor McKessie (Monique Coleman) they stage an elaborate spring musical reflecting their experiences, hopes and fears about the future
In the film, Bond (Daniel Craig) battles Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric), a member of the Quantum organisation posing as an environmentalist, who intends to stage a coup d'état in Bolivia to take control of its water supply. Bond seeks revenge for the death of Vesper Lynd, and is assisted by Camille (Olga Kurylenko), who also wants to kill Greene
In the film, Bond (Daniel Craig) battles Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric), a member of the Quantum organisation posing as an environmentalist, who intends to stage a coup d'état in Bolivia to take control of its water supply. Bond seeks revenge for the death of Vesper Lynd, and is assisted by Camille (Olga Kurylenko), who also wants to kill Greene
The next day, Max goes with his former partner Alex Balder (Donal Logue) to investigate her murder. Alex then reveals Max's wallet was found at the crime scene and that he is the prime suspect. Back in his office, Alex discovers that a tattoo of wings found on Natasha's arm is similar to the one on the arm of one of Michelle's murderers, killed at the crime scene. He tries to call Max to reveal his finding, but in vain as he's answered by his voice mail. Max receives his message and rushes to his apartment, only to find Alex dead. Suddenly, he is attacked and thrown around until he blacks out. Max wakes up in hospital beside his mentor B.B. Hensley (Beau Bridges). Max goes to Alex's house to offer his condolences but is forced to leave by his wife Christa Balder (Nelly Furtado), stating that Max has always pushed away everyone who ever cared about him. Later, Max again meets Mona Sax, who believes he killed Natasha, but Max convinces her that they are both looking for someone else. After storming into Alex's precinct and searching through his partner's investigation files, Max learns that a man named Owen Greene was the last person Natasha called before her death.
The scene shifts to crime boss Jack Lupino (Amaury Nolasco) who has become unstable and increasingly berserk due to addiction to the drug Valkyr. He gives the drug to another wing-tattoed junkie and shortly afterwards kills him. Max and Mona find Owen Greene's apartment but hear him screaming. Owen has also become unstable and hallucinated due to Valkyr and backs away from Max and Mona towards the edge of the apartment. He is then pulled by a demonic creature on wings and falls to his death. Max and Mona go to see a tattooist who did Natasha's tattoos; when asked about the winged tattoo, he tells that it is the wing of a Valkyrie, the Norse mythological deity that carried to Heaven only those that died violently in combat. Max then arrives at Aesir Pharmaceuticals headquarters, Michelle's former workplace, to talk with her former supervisor, Jason Colvin (Chris O'Donnell). After brutally beating him up and even holding him at gun point, Colvin reveals everything. He explains that Michelle was working on a big military-related project with Aesir's CEO, Nicole Horne (Kate Burton) concerning the development of a stamina-enhancing drug for soldiers. Colvin also reveals that the drug only worked in 1% of the test subjects and the remaining suffered severe traumatic hallucinations about demonic creatures. Colvin tells Max that everything he wants to know is inside an envelope Colvin has been carrying around. Max and Colvin attempt to escape but a S.W.A.T team arrives, after being alerted by Colvin's secretary. Colvin is purposely shot dead but Max manages to escape with the envelope, amidst a shooting spree, not before a brief encounter with Jim Bravura (Chris "Ludacris" Bridges), an internal affairs agent.
Mona later finds Max in a abandoned warehouse, watching the video inside Colvin's package. It is revealed that Aesir Pharmaceuticals was the company manufacturing Valkyr for the military. It was a drug created for the purpose of enhancing a soldier's ability in combat and to control their fears. It is also revealed that, before becoming unstable and a rampage killer, Jack Lupino was a former sergeant who volunteered for Valkyr testing; in the video interview, Lupino stated that "he felt invincible" and "suffered no side effects". Mona tells Max that Lupino's lair is at Ragna Rock. Subsequently, Max goes there and successfully kills all of Lupino's henchmen with ease. Max then encounters Lupino, who attempts to force the drug into Max's body. Before he can, he is shot dead by B.B.. While leaving Ragna Rock with B.B., Max is knocked unconscious by B.B.'s assistant. Max is then showed walking handcuffed between B.B. and his assistant, who confesses he is the lead manufacturer of Valkyr and the runaway killer that Max has been searching for. B.B. and his partner then attempt to eliminate Max. Making him look like an drug-addicted suicidal by slipping two vials of the Valkyr drug in his jacket pocket, and then attempting to drown him in a freezing river. Max sinks to the bottom as we saw in the opening scene of the movie, but only the thought of his wife and daughter give him the strength to struggle and he barely makes it out alive. In order to combat freezing to death, he ingests the two vials of Valkyr that B.B. had earlier put in his jacket. The effects are felt immediately as he revives his strength and anger and hallucinates with the demonic winged creatures as seen by Valkyr-consuming subjects, which are revealed to be the mythological Valkyries.
A strengthened and berserk Max then rushes to Aesir Pharmaceuticals to kill B.B., but amidst all the shooting and due to his increasing hallucinations, Max is almost killed by one of B.B.'s security team members, before Mona arrives, saves Max and offers to hold the rest off until he reaches his former mentor. B.B. has arranged a helicopter to evacute him while his assistant tries to blow up the rooftop access with explosives. Mona fatally wounds the assistant, but he still manages to blow up the floor he is on. Max catches up with B.B. and, despite being shot twice, he shoots B.B. dead. Max then slumps near the edge of the building and the dark, snowy, cloudy city sky is now clearing up and the sun appears shining on Max's face. He then experiences a flashback of himself, his wife and daughter and the film ends with Michelle saying "Not yet, Max."
There is a post credit scene, where Max Payne meets up with Mona Sax at a bar. There is no dialogue between Mona and Max, Mona just gives Max a newspaper article that has Aesir's CEO, Nicole Horne on it with the headline "Aesir stock soars" (or something like that). Max and Mona give each other a look of pleasure knowing who is going to be next.
