Downsizing

Who ever thought that Alexander Payne's biggest movie would be his smallest?!

Downsizing's $68 million budget makes it his most expensive film. It's also his first collaboration with his Sideways writing partner Jim Taylor since that movie. It's not a perfect movie. Let's work out why.

Paul (Matt Damon) and Audrey Safranek (Kristin Wiig) aren't happy with their cash-strapped existence in Omaha. Fortunately for them, a pair of Norwegian scientists have found a way to miniaturize people. It's their way to decrease humanity's collective carbon footprint. The Downsizing process is irreversible, but the affected become proportionately wealthier. Paul and Audrey agree to the process. But Audrey backs off at the last second, leaving Paul alone in the Leisureland community.

The rest of the movie has Paul adjusting to his life as a little person. His upstairs neighbor is Dusan (Christoph Waltz), a middle-age party man. He also meets Dusan's housekeeper, Ngoc Lan Tran (Hong Chau), a forcibly downsized political prisoner. Paul assists her in assisting the poor people in their shrunken world. As for the standard sized world, downsizing co-inventor Dr. Asbjørnsen sees no hope for it. So he's decided to seal himself and others away in a mountain. Paul's gotta choose something.

The first part of the movie is the best. It was intriguing to see the downsizing process explained. It was even better to see the little people interact with the standard sized. It led to some great visual gags. But the film soon acts as if the standard sized world doesn't exist. It's just Paul's time in the little world, which is now his standard sized world. His dour life and the poverty outside seem to imply a message that there's a downside to the downsized utopia. It gets sidetracked by the end of the world stuff.

Matt Damon as Paul was an average protagonist. He's not really a jerk, but he's kind of dull. His wanting to downsize, to live comfortably, is a valid one. But he's in the same rut the film opens him with until Ngoc Lan Tran shows up. And that's nearly an hour into the film. His climactic decision is bit of a headscratcher.

Hong Chau's performance makes the second half bearable. Her accent might rub people the wrong way (it's not the actress's actual accent), but her story is compelling. She still does good for the impoverished even when downsized. She'll help people even when the world is about to end. As we later find out, it took a while for her to adjust to her state. Again, it would be nice if the film developed its downside to utopia theme more.

I mentioned the great shrinking visual effects earlier. I can also mention the great production design too. The downsized environments, from Leisureland to the first downsized colony in Norway, are appealing. The cinematography by Phedon Papamichael illuminates them quite well. The upsized props were pretty good. The editing by Kevin Trent works when it reveals the size disparity between people. Or when it sets up its final, explosive joke. These technical aspects work even when the story didn't do that well.

Downsizing could've used some more focus to make it work. There are some great ideas here, but they disappear when the film goes off in a tangent. It was disappointing to see the size disparities vanish after the first part. But a few aspects made the rest of the film work. Hopefully, Payne's next film will keep its head out of the clouds, even if it reaches for the stars.