Downsizing

 

(US, 2017) Director: Alexander Payne. Screenplay: Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor. Cast: Matt Damon, Kristen Wiig, Christoph Waltz, Hong Chau, Jason Sudeikis, Udo Keir, Neil Patrick Harris, Laura Dern,

Although director Alexander Payne has made an impressive series of great films about real people – Election, Citizen Ruth, About Schmidt, Sideways, The Descendants, Nebraska, & more – he never seems to get the recognition he deserves. His newest humorous satire looks at our ecological crisis, suggesting that shrinking down humans (including Matt Damon and Hong Chau) to a more manageable size might conserve our resources. But small isn’t always beautiful, as our species flaws follow wherever we go. Hong Chau won a Best Supporting Actress Nomination from The Screen Actors Guild, The Critics Choice, and The Golden Globes. 135 min
“The rewards are rich and revelatory in a film that doesn’t soft-pedal the woes facing the planet, but celebrates the kind of direct, healing action that makes it worth fighting for.” – Ann Hornaday, Washington Post.