Changeling times

"I like Clint Eastwood because he has only two expressions: One with the hat and one without it."
It's hard to argue with this gem from Sergio Leone who directed Eastwood in the cult Dollar trilogy. So when exactly did Eastwood transform from cowboy moth into director butterfly. Hard to tell but he is destined to go down as one of the greatest directors of all time.
I watched Changeling with as much awe as I did Mystic River. Eastwood runs this hefty dramatic masterpiece with absolute control and conviction. In lesser hands it could have been a melodramatic weepy mess but not with Eastwood. He lends the period drama a quiet dignity and immense style. And he completely destroys the myth that beautiful women cannot act. Make space in that closet Angelina, the Oscar cometh.