2 hrs & 15 min., color, 2017
He stands in front of a slab for measuring human height. He is looking upward from Whit Ithe ground level, with something of a wondrous expression on his face, not sure he wants to read the figure above his head but at the same time kind of glassy-eyed and frightened. It is as if he has been overpowered by what he sees. The measurement of 5 (feet? inches?, who knows for sure!) just above his shoulder does not seem to impress him, nor the 4 behind his back. Something above his head and outside our line of vision, on the other hand, has transfixed him. There is a helpless look on the face, not desperate, not demented, just one of silent surrender. It is as if he is bound to the wall against which he is leaning, though there is no rope anywhere in sight.
What I have just described is the still animation that accompanies the menu for subtitling at the very start of a most unusual science fiction movie. What makes it unusual is the abrupt shift in mood that occurs during the course of the film. When my wife and I set our sights on seeing it, reading that it had to do with people shrinking themselves to make life more affordable and the earth more generally inhabitable, we began anticipating a fun outing, people playing with their destinies, something in the romantic comedy mode, something of the “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” variety. But those expectations were soon enough dashed. Husband and wife Paul and Aubrey (Matt Damon and Kristen Wiig) presumably agree to the change, but the wife backs out – after the hubby has undergone the surgical and cosmetic transformation, during which sequence we discover that the procedure is (gulp!) irreversible. So much for lighthearted fluff! Hubby finds himself stranded in a miniature world, where he has to make a new life for himself. Now how is that for a domestic crisis? Aubrey is suddenly gone from the picture altogether.
Let me urge those who may be interested in seeing “Downsizing” not to expect anything funny in the plot development. This is serious science fiction, and the material becomes increasingly more so as the plot moves forward. In this fictional world a Norwegian scientist stumbles upon the formula for making shrinkage possible and over time a sizable cult has latched onto the device and made the shift. It all ultimately appeals to those who crave a life without work and without financial worries. But there is a huge catch to the promise of improved living. By the very end of the movie you will find yourself in nothing less than the bowels of an apocalypse. The option to shrink is almost forgotten, and we are face to face with an estimate of humanity at its worst.
For those who thrive on controversy the movie may have some value. I know I feasted a while on the central idea of reducing the human carbon print from the world as we know it, a proposed solution to global warming, but by the end that whole notion has been dealt a fatal blow. The only refreshing presence in the story is that of a Vietnamese servant girl named Ngoc Lu (Hong Chau), a victim of unimaginable persecution, who has an almost fantastic transforming impact upon Paul’s life. She is by far the most stirring and exciting individual you will meet. She just may make the trip worthwhile for many.
To read other entries in my blog, please consult its website:enspiritus.blogspot.com. To know about me, consult the autobiographical entry on the website for Dec. 5, 2016.
He stands in front of a slab for measuring human height. He is looking upward from Whit Ithe ground level, with something of a wondrous expression on his face, not sure he wants to read the figure above his head but at the same time kind of glassy-eyed and frightened. It is as if he has been overpowered by what he sees. The measurement of 5 (feet? inches?, who knows for sure!) just above his shoulder does not seem to impress him, nor the 4 behind his back. Something above his head and outside our line of vision, on the other hand, has transfixed him. There is a helpless look on the face, not desperate, not demented, just one of silent surrender. It is as if he is bound to the wall against which he is leaning, though there is no rope anywhere in sight.
What I have just described is the still animation that accompanies the menu for subtitling at the very start of a most unusual science fiction movie. What makes it unusual is the abrupt shift in mood that occurs during the course of the film. When my wife and I set our sights on seeing it, reading that it had to do with people shrinking themselves to make life more affordable and the earth more generally inhabitable, we began anticipating a fun outing, people playing with their destinies, something in the romantic comedy mode, something of the “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” variety. But those expectations were soon enough dashed. Husband and wife Paul and Aubrey (Matt Damon and Kristen Wiig) presumably agree to the change, but the wife backs out – after the hubby has undergone the surgical and cosmetic transformation, during which sequence we discover that the procedure is (gulp!) irreversible. So much for lighthearted fluff! Hubby finds himself stranded in a miniature world, where he has to make a new life for himself. Now how is that for a domestic crisis? Aubrey is suddenly gone from the picture altogether.
Let me urge those who may be interested in seeing “Downsizing” not to expect anything funny in the plot development. This is serious science fiction, and the material becomes increasingly more so as the plot moves forward. In this fictional world a Norwegian scientist stumbles upon the formula for making shrinkage possible and over time a sizable cult has latched onto the device and made the shift. It all ultimately appeals to those who crave a life without work and without financial worries. But there is a huge catch to the promise of improved living. By the very end of the movie you will find yourself in nothing less than the bowels of an apocalypse. The option to shrink is almost forgotten, and we are face to face with an estimate of humanity at its worst.
For those who thrive on controversy the movie may have some value. I know I feasted a while on the central idea of reducing the human carbon print from the world as we know it, a proposed solution to global warming, but by the end that whole notion has been dealt a fatal blow. The only refreshing presence in the story is that of a Vietnamese servant girl named Ngoc Lu (Hong Chau), a victim of unimaginable persecution, who has an almost fantastic transforming impact upon Paul’s life. She is by far the most stirring and exciting individual you will meet. She just may make the trip worthwhile for many.
To read other entries in my blog, please consult its website:enspiritus.blogspot.com. To know about me, consult the autobiographical entry on the website for Dec. 5, 2016.
