Downsizing
Dir: Alexander Payne
2017
*****
The fact that Alexander Payne’s best film to date has gone pretty much gone uncelebrated by the greater audience makes me sad. I know satire has pretty much been killed off in recent years but I had hoped that more subtle social satires would continue, and maybe even thrive, on this odd little planet we find ourselves upon. Written with long-term collaborator Jim Taylor and in the pip-line for many years, Downsizing is probably the most accomplished social satire to add aspects of sci-fi and theoretical circumstance into life as we know it. The film is brilliant on many different levels. Firstly, it conjures an idea (miniaturization) and explores the possibilities it could bring, alongside the many probables. Our protagonist (played by Matt Damon) is an every-man, an average, journeying himself through many twist and turns on a voyage of betterment. After being sold the idea that ‘shrinking’ yourself is beneficial to the environment, a reduction in size means that not only do you cost less, but your outgoings are reduced, meaning that a struggling worker of normal proportions can live like a king once reduced in size. All you need to do is sell everything you own and relocate to Leisureland – a vast state-sized world of white picket fences and tennis courts, the middle-American dream, all housed in a football sized arena. You can still travel, eat out and see your ‘big’ friends though, as many companies are encouraged to begin catering to the smaller customer. A ridiculous concept that isn’t really that ridiculous. Payne and Taylor’s script never once becomes farcical, everything that goes wrong is utterly believable, the human element being imperfect as it is. Our protagonist Paul soon finds himself in dire straits when his wife (Kristen Wiig), who was meant to go through the process with him, pulls out at the last minute, making their plans of living in luxury a distant memory. Living in a small apartment and working in telemarketing, Paul soon finds his life hasn’t changed for the better and he is now essentially trapped, both in size and in ‘paradise’. This scenario was already deliciously dry, the film being both sad and hilarious at this point, and then Payne and Taylor up the ante. Through a range of bizarre and brilliant circumstances, Paul finds himself in the company of the elite, wealthy black-marketers, refugees and the species’ very saviors. It’s somewhere between Tales of the Unexpected and Black Mirror but somehow totally believable, indeed, you soon release that in taking themselves out of society, the smaller people are seeing the world in its most honest state and people as they really are. Its brilliance is in being incredibly clever, while also being completely exclusive. Aspects of the scenario bring up issues regarding real life that one may have never thought of, making it quite a profound story. Maybe the inclusion of cast members such as Kristen Wiig, Jason Sudeikis and Matt Damon led to many thinking this would be a different kind of comedy than it is – pretty small minded if you ask me but I get it. Shame, as it also features Christoph Waltz in the best role he’s had in ages, the brilliant Udo Keir who I adore in this and last, but not least, Hong Chau in what I believe is the best performance by an actress of the year - hands down. Chau is utterly convincing and totally captivating. Credit to him, Matt Damon is also good, although I can think of several people who could have played Paul. The cameos from Neil Patrick Harris and Laura Dern are a treat and it was wonderful to see the great Rolf Lassgard in his first English-language movie. The concept is brought to life quite brilliantly with impressive but realistic effects – the giant viewing platforms add a subtle menace in classic dystopian style, while the little people are lifted from their beds with kitchen spatulas following their shrinking procedure. I think many people didn’t like it because they weren’t sure when to laugh, as the film never tells them, such is the state modern cinema is in. Big budget ideas from the minds of clever ‘indie’ directors puzzle people and they they get caught up in the least important aspects of the story and totally miss the point it actually tries to make. This isn’t Honey I Shrunk the Kids. It’s actually a lot more like the brilliant (and also overlooked) Defending Your Life. Still, life goes on, the majority of people will still continue to think that Alexander Payne’s best film is still Election (it really isn’t) and Matt Damon will no doubt make another Bourne movie. I hope Downsizing gathers a second wind and becomes the next Synecdoche, New York but I won’t hold my breath. Many a masterpiece falls by the wayside though, so at least it is in good company.