Clint Eastwood's latest directorial effort, Changeling, portrays the bleak and often deeply troubling story of a mother whose son goes missing. Angelina Jolie, stripped of all the action-hero toughness and overt sexuality she showcased in this year's Wanted, plays Christine Collins, a mother fighting for the return of her child. Heartbroken and desperate for her son's return, she turns to the Los Angeles Police Department, who return the child to her five months later.But is he actually her son? The film turns here, becoming the story of one woman who stands up to a corrupt police force. That is, until the film introduces the serial killer behind it all, at which point the film becomes the profile of a seriously deranged man in the vein of In Cold Blood or The Silence of the Lambs. Finally, in its closing moments Changeling becomes a highly polished episode of Law & Order, filled with all the requisite courtroom drama.

If this sounds jumbled on paper, rest assured that it is just as messy on film. The movie struggles to grasp its own identity, shifting in tone and focus from scene to scene. To be sure, some scenes are utterly brilliant, possessing the tight direction characteristic of many of Eastwood's earlier and better films. However, there are just as many scenes that land with a resounding thud, going nowhere while seeming trite and contrived.

It is hard to know with whom exactly the fault lies. While surely Eastwood isn't at his best here, he still has moments of brilliance, and the film's cinematography is stunningly beautiful. Likewise, the acting is top-notch, and even if Jolie appears a bit out of place at times in depression-era Los Angeles, she more than makes up for it with her profound expressions of grief caused by a mother's worst nightmare. Unfortunately, Jolie, in addition to being a very talented actress, is also one of the world's most beautiful and famous faces, and at times it is hard to forget this and accept her as a middle-class single mother. However, she still manages to hit most of the right notes, her acting almost always feeling unforced and natural.

The ensemble cast is equally strong, and John Malkovich in particular excels as a pastor committed to exposing the corruption of the police. Malkovich seems to fit right into the period, feeling wholly natural in 1920s and '30s Los Angeles. Finally, Eastwood deserves commendation for getting some terrific acting from a number of child actors, which is surely no easy feat. For example, one scene involving the teary confession of the crimes committed by a young boy is harrowing and yet never over the top. It is the director's ability to capture stunning but delicate performances from his actors that ultimately keeps the film from falling into stale melodrama.

All in all, while the acting is solid and the direction is competent, Changeling is a film that does not equal the sum of its parts. There are pieces of the film that are truly brilliant, but unfortunately the pieces never mesh into a truly coherent whole; ultimately, the movie feels like a compilation of bits from different films. Overall, if Changeling is frequently an impressive film, it is just as often a film that feels like a missed opportunity, coming close but ultimately failing to live up to its great potential.