A review of the 2017 film “Downsizing”
I had thought that this was one kind of movie but it turned out to be a rather different one altogether. I had imagined – based largely on the trailer – that it was some kind of romantic comedy starring Matt Damon and Kristen Wiig, both of which I enjoy as actors.
At first, my expectations were essentially fulfilled: here was a fun tale of a married couple of limited financial means who seek to save the planet and expand their lifestyle by undergoing a radical scientific technique that makes them truly tiny. But, about a third of the way in, the movie dramatically changes take and becomes a more serious consideration of personal relationships and human survival.
Responsibility for this switch in direction and tone – and for the flop at the box office – is down to co-writer and director Alexander Payne who has previously had both commercial and critical success with the likes of “Sideways” and “The Descendants”.
In my view, Matt Damon and Christoph Waltz are miscast, while (spoiler alert) Kristen Wiig is sadly under-utilised and Hong Chau is not given the billing she deserves. So, in short (see what I did there?), this is an interesting effort to do something a little different that falls rather flat.