Downsizing

— The concept has merit. A civilization facing its own demise as a result of over-population and depletion of natural resources figures out how to shrink its population, literally, and when people are only .0364 of their original height, their consumption and waste is also reduced by the same factor. Even better, prices for housing and goods are similarly reduced while a person’s net worth remains unchanged. This is more than enough for a humorous social satire but along the way Payne decides to wander more heavily into social awareness. It’s a shame really, since the film was better before it developed too much of a conscience. Matt Damon’s character, Paul, is about as much of a blank slate as someone can be at the start of the film and as Payne takes him through his “large” life, downsizing to a “perfect” life, to signs of oppression making his life “perfect. We assume Paul is learning and growing but it’s hard to tell. The pieces don’t fit together an it’s too bad because I kept thinking the film would eventually do something wonderful. Instead, Paul just realizes he’s a nice guy. Nice for him, but not very satisfying for the viewer.

---

(2017. 135 min. Directed by Alexander Payne. Starring Matt Damon, Christoph Waltz, and Hong Chau.]
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/downsizing-2017