Downsizing
2017
**½
Director: Alexander Payne
Cast: Matt Damon, Christoph Waltz, Hong Chau, Kristen Wiig, Jason Sudeikis, Maribeth Monroe, Udo Kier, Rolf Lassgård, Ingjerd Egeberg
Sometime in the future, Norwegian scientists invent a method to downsize an average-sized man to a height of five inches, which they hope will solve overpopulation and save the planet. Paul and Audrey Safranek, a married couple from Omaha who struggle to make ends meet, decide to go through with the procedure and spend the rest of their lives in Leisureland, a biodomed miniature community in New Mexico. Alexander Payne's social satire has a freakishly fascinating premise. The first 45 minutes explore the scientific details and emotional ramifications of this irreversible procedure. The cynical conclusion is that downsizing is not so much about reducing the cost of living as it is about increasing the spending power. However, once we're in Leisureland, size no longer matters, and the initial high concept turns into a character study, which is far less original or interesting. Hong Chau gives a lively performance as a Vietnamese activist who was shrunk against her will.
