Changeling (2008) -vs- L.A. Confidential (1997)
The Smackdown. Cops in Los Angeles were using integrity for target practice long before they started beating on Rodney King in the 90s. In “Changeling” -- set 80 years ago -- director Clint Eastwood combines a shocking – and mostly true – story with standout performances from Angelina Jolie and John Malkovich to create one of the riveting films of the year. Just over a decade ago, those same elements of corruption, torture and death -- set in the decade of Elvis -- played out forcefully in “L.A. Confidential” from director Curtis Hanson. This 50s noirish tale of compromised honor snagged 71 film awards. Hanson and screenwriter Brian Helgeland earned an Oscar for adapting James Ellroy’s novel. Kim Basinger gave a career performance to win Best Supporting Actress. “L.A. Confidential” is smart, funny, very well-made and pulled $126 million in worldwide receipts, yes, but was its haunting portrayal of our centurions in search of a moral compass good enough to put away the likes of Eastwood and Jolie? We'll just see about that...
The Challenger. It’s March 1928 in the Los Angeles of "Changeling" and Christine Collins (Jolie) is called to work at the local phone company. Her little boy Walter disappears without a trace. The police don’t warm to Christine pressing for a full-blown search. Five months later a boy is abandoned at a diner in DeKalb, Illinois. Police decide it’s young Walter Collins and he’s returned to LA. Major complication: Christine says the boy is not her son, and the cops don’t believe her.
During the 1920’s enforcing the law is incidental for the LAPD. The Chief is corrupt, the force is trigger-happy and radio minister Gustav Briegleb (Malkovich) hammers an obvious point: “Once the City of Angels..our protectors have become our brutalizers.”
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