One of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood, Angelina Jolie is an epitome of versatility, talent and method acting. Born to actor parents, Jolie has had a tumultuous relationship with alienation, isolation, eating disorders and other mental health issues, which later found home in her role in the much-acclaimed film Girl, Interrupted.
While her brooding and “too dark” demeanour made it impossible for her to find roles, she plunged into the film with the 1993 film Cyborg 2 before being seen in movies like Hackers, Without Evidence, Love Is All There Is and more.
However, her outstanding performance as George Wallace’s second wife, Cornelia, in the 1997 TV mini-series George Wallace won her a Golden Globe and amassed her global attention.
A recipient of three Golden Globes, an Academy Award and various other awards and accolades, Jolie is known for playing emotionally volatile, spirited and independent characters. She perfectly summarises her chosen roles by saying, “I am reckless but not a rebel without a cause.”
While some of Jolie’s films are streaming on Netflix, namely The Tourist, By the Sea, Wanted, Girl, Interrupted etc., Jolie has once starred in a highly underrated crime film which deserves your attention.
Directed by Clint Eastwood, the 2008 film Changeling is based on the infamous Wineville Chicken Coop Murders and stars Jolie in the lead.
The film follows the journey of Christine Collins, who lives in 1928 Los Angeles with her nine-year-old son Walter and her struggle against intense powerplay. One day, she comes home to see that her son is missing.
When she reports the same, authorities shun her away for being a reckless and incompetent mother; she is also called delusional and is confined to a psychiatric ward. The police go to extreme lengths, using various unfair measures to hide their corruption and failure to solve the case.
Changeling is dedicated to heavyweight issues like women’s disempowerment, political bigotry, trivialising mental health and violence against children. The film also exposes the corruption and bigotry of the justice system in a scathing narrative.
Jolie found the role of Collins pretty distressing, being a mother. However, she managed to perfect the unimaginable character depth and perseverance as she struggled against all obstacles on the path towards seeking truth.
One of Hollywood’s most incredible collabs, Eastwood and Jolie outdo themselves and deserves appreciation.
