FRED Watch Quickie Film Review: Downsizing (2017)
SMALL EXPECTATIONS.
I’m a Kendall Richardson and welcome to FRED Watch, where we review everything from the mainstream to the obscure. Today’s film is Downsizing…
Paramount Pictures.
In the near future, financially burdened couple Paul and Audrey Safranek (Matt Damon and Kristen Wiig) are tempted to partake in “downsizing”, an irreversible process that involves shrinking humans to a height of five inches.
Paul and Audrey consider downsizing which, it is sold to them, is both environmentally and financially advantageous…
One of the main issues with movie trailers these days is either one of two things: Too much of the film’s plot and story can be revealed, leaving no surprises for the audience upon the first viewing, or the film that the trailer has been put out to promote is the furthest thing from what the trailer says it is. In the case of Downsizing, the trailer is definitely depicting what takes place in the story. Sort of. I can’t figure out if it was intentional or not, but we have been misled into thinking, going in to the cinema, that we know what kind of movie we’re in for.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to say that Downsizing is a bad movie—it’s not—it is just so far from what I expected. The trailer essentially shows you the first half an hour of the film, but the majority of the story takes place after that. The trailer is just the set-up for what sets the plot in motion. This funnily enough can also be a metaphor for the story of Downsizing’s lead character Paul Safranek, played vulnerably well by Matt Damon. There is a quote in the film that goes something along the lines of, ‘Nothing ever works out the way Paul expects.’ This really should have been a disclaimer for the viewer going in.
That aside, Downsizing is certainly nothing like we’ve ever seen—it contains an original story and original characters that pull you in directions you don’t expect. Apart from Damon’s excellent performance, the only other two characters that really stand out are Christoph Waltz’s Dusan, a hysterical party animal taking full advantage of the downsizing procedure for solely his own benefit, and Hong Chau’s Ngoc Lan Tran, who was downsized as a punishment and illegally immigrated to the U.S. via a TV box. Yes you read that correctly. Her performance was one of my favourite things about this movie; from the way she hobbled around on her fake leg (a result of the TV box incident) to the eccentric broken English she speaks, she emotes so fluently that I can see why she garnered a Golden Globe nomination.
I also really enjoyed the depiction of the whole history and process of downsizing. It was done in such a way that made it almost seem real: The film takes place in modern times; the procedure is created and presented in a no-nonsense scientific manner; and applicants can enquire about it all as if they were being sold at an expo, filled with public speakers, display homes, and salespeople talking you through it and answering any and all questions.
Whilst Downsizing is not the best movie of recent times, I applaud it for its ambition and total originality. In a world filled with reboots, remakes, and sequels, at least writer/director Alexander Payne is giving us something new. Also the visual effects are highly impressive. Keep an open mind when going into this one, and set your expectations… small. 3 / 5
Starring: Matt Damon, Christoph Waltz, Hong Chau, Kristen Wiig, Jason Sudeikis, Maribeth Monroe, Udo Kier, Rolf Lassgård, Ingjerd Egeberg, Søren Pilmark, Margo Martindale, James Van Der Beek, Niecy Nash, Donna Lynne Champlin, Don Lake, Neil Patrick Harris, Laura Dern, Brigette Lundy-Paine, Joaquim de Almeida, Eric Burns.
Director: Alexander Payne | Producers: Mark Johnson, Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor | Writers: Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor | Music: Rolfe Kent | Cinematographer: Phedon Papamichael | Editor: Kevin Tent
Showing in cinemas nation-wide.
Let us know what you thought of this film in the comments!
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