A few nights ago, I had one of those rare nightmares that didn’t evaporate upon waking. Long past the point when most random visions of never-having-happened nonsense typically dissolve back from wherever they come, the dream permeated my thoughts and stuck with me, like a splinter in my mind—from the moment the waking world came back into hazy view through the days that followed. It was a dream of nuclear annihilation (which is probably neither original nor surprising given the state of things). I was away from my family when the bombs came down. I was forced to watch it on television—that is, before the display went black and slammed shut my digital window to the world beyond my eyesight. I felt powerless to help those I cared for, and I felt guilty for having brought children into a world that could be so reckless.
In our days of seemingly unavoidable dystopia to come—when things seem so bleak—what’s a person to do? When we’re a few degrees from seeing how quickly mankind can adapt to live a more aquatic existence (or 140 characters away from the next World War), is it time to call it quits or bunker down to save the species?
How we respond to hopelessness is one of many ideas touched on in Downsizing, the latest movie from director Alexander Payne (Election, Sideways, Nebraska, About Schmidt). The answer, Downsizing suggests, is that not seeing the forest for the trees might not be such a bad approach. If we focus only on the big, bleak picture, we can easily overlook that the only way to change it is through small actions.
This sci-fi comedy shows us a world in the not-so-distant future where you can elect to literally downsize, becoming a few inches tall to minimize your footprint, both on the planet and your finances. Just think: When you can use a dollhouse as a mansion, your meager savings suddenly seem super-sized.
We see the world size up downsizing as hapless, likable Joe Schmo Paul Safranek (Matt Damon) watches the downsizing developments unfold for years on the nightly news before ultimately deciding to go miniature himself. A quiet, kindly Nebraskan with money problems and a penchant for relieving others’ pains, Paul works as an occupational therapist and takes joy in his work. But his focus on long-term doom and gloom distracts him from day-to-day happiness and fulfillment.
As the downsizing procedure’s Norwegian creator Dr. Jørgen notes, nature is a patient architect. The work of substantial change requires slow hard work—be it in nature or elsewhere. You may not live to see the change. You may not be the champion or the face of it. But if you want anything done, getting your hands dirty beats wringing your hands any day.
Downsizing goes in unexpected places and is packed with interesting ideas, especially during its stellar, in-no-hurry setup and still-solid second act, which establishes the science in this fiction in a way that feels very Spike Jonze or Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. But a couple issues arise as Downsizing enters its more predictable homestretch.
Take Hong Chau, who outshines everyone and everything else in Downsizing. Chau brings humor and real heart to the role of Ngoc Lan Tran, a political activist who is downsized against her will. Unfortunately, leaning on her broken English for laughs may make her feel like a caricature that borders on offensive to some.
Besides Chau, Christoph Waltz is a hoot as Paul’s carefree, party-loving upstairs neighbor Dusan, and anything around the science of shrinking and how items from the oversized world make it to the miniature world are a delight.
With Payne’s signature tasty super-slow dissolves and its whimsical score, Downsizing is a treat for the eyes and ears, gripes aside. In the end, it falls short and fails to measure up to the colossal bar set by Alexander Payne’s previous films. Though it may be Payne’s funniest film to date, it's also his least emotionally impactful.
— Eric Pulsifer
In our days of seemingly unavoidable dystopia to come—when things seem so bleak—what’s a person to do? When we’re a few degrees from seeing how quickly mankind can adapt to live a more aquatic existence (or 140 characters away from the next World War), is it time to call it quits or bunker down to save the species?
How we respond to hopelessness is one of many ideas touched on in Downsizing, the latest movie from director Alexander Payne (Election, Sideways, Nebraska, About Schmidt). The answer, Downsizing suggests, is that not seeing the forest for the trees might not be such a bad approach. If we focus only on the big, bleak picture, we can easily overlook that the only way to change it is through small actions.
This sci-fi comedy shows us a world in the not-so-distant future where you can elect to literally downsize, becoming a few inches tall to minimize your footprint, both on the planet and your finances. Just think: When you can use a dollhouse as a mansion, your meager savings suddenly seem super-sized.
We see the world size up downsizing as hapless, likable Joe Schmo Paul Safranek (Matt Damon) watches the downsizing developments unfold for years on the nightly news before ultimately deciding to go miniature himself. A quiet, kindly Nebraskan with money problems and a penchant for relieving others’ pains, Paul works as an occupational therapist and takes joy in his work. But his focus on long-term doom and gloom distracts him from day-to-day happiness and fulfillment.
As the downsizing procedure’s Norwegian creator Dr. Jørgen notes, nature is a patient architect. The work of substantial change requires slow hard work—be it in nature or elsewhere. You may not live to see the change. You may not be the champion or the face of it. But if you want anything done, getting your hands dirty beats wringing your hands any day.
Downsizing goes in unexpected places and is packed with interesting ideas, especially during its stellar, in-no-hurry setup and still-solid second act, which establishes the science in this fiction in a way that feels very Spike Jonze or Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. But a couple issues arise as Downsizing enters its more predictable homestretch.
Take Hong Chau, who outshines everyone and everything else in Downsizing. Chau brings humor and real heart to the role of Ngoc Lan Tran, a political activist who is downsized against her will. Unfortunately, leaning on her broken English for laughs may make her feel like a caricature that borders on offensive to some.
Besides Chau, Christoph Waltz is a hoot as Paul’s carefree, party-loving upstairs neighbor Dusan, and anything around the science of shrinking and how items from the oversized world make it to the miniature world are a delight.
With Payne’s signature tasty super-slow dissolves and its whimsical score, Downsizing is a treat for the eyes and ears, gripes aside. In the end, it falls short and fails to measure up to the colossal bar set by Alexander Payne’s previous films. Though it may be Payne’s funniest film to date, it's also his least emotionally impactful.
— Eric Pulsifer
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