Respond to these rapid questions in our Downsizing quiz and we will tell you which Downsizing character you are. Play it now.
Despite the fact that the film begins with an intriguing “What if?…” question, which serves as the launching pad for all good science fiction stories, “Downsizing” quickly devolves into an uninteresting story about a nondescript khaki-wearing guy who comes to care about the less fortunate. It’s the least interesting way to proceed with a premise that is otherwise quite interesting. But in “Downsizing,” the possibilities of the imaginative scenario are mostly abandoned in favor of this other completely banal theme, which is something Payne has always been interested in. He was born and raised in Nebraska and has always been interested in the Everyman, the regular guy caught up in extraordinary circumstances. Good science fiction operates on its own terms, establishing the “rules” of the alternate world and then following these rules to their most extreme conclusion. What would be the ramifications of a single technological change on humanity? What would be the impact on consciousness itself if such-and-such was made possible? These are the kinds of questions that “Downsizing” is interested in, to an extent, but the clichés have proven to be irresistible.
The film is set in a not-too-distant future in which a group of Norwegian scientists has discovered a way to shrink human beings down to the size of five-inch-tall versions of themselves. According to some, the discovery represents a revolution and may hold the key to solving the climate change crisis. People taking up less space, leaving a smaller carbon footprint, producing less trash can all contribute to the preservation of our environment. Within a few years, “downsizing,” as the procedure is referred to, has swept the entire world economy. There are “downsized” communities springing up all over the place, and governments are providing tax credit incentives to those who choose to live in them.
After talking with some of their friends who have made the leap, Paul (Matt Damon) and his aspirational wife Audrey (Kristen Wiig) wonder if they should “go small” and start a small business in Omaha. Jason Sudeikis plays Dave, Paul’s friend who sits on a box of cookies on the kitchen counter, telling Paul (who hovers over him like a giant) how wonderful it is to be able to live a life of leisure with no financial concerns. The most difficult obstacle Paul and Audrey face in their lives is the fact that they desire a larger home but cannot afford it. (Greetings, Paul and Audrey, and welcome to the club.) They decide to take the plunge and apply for a position at Leisureland, a “downsized” community in New Mexico that has been marketed to prospective residents through a promotional video that features married couple Jeff and Laura Lonowski (Neil Patrick Harris and Laura Dern), both wearing ear-mikes, engaging in marital “banter” in their echoing McMansion the size of a dollhouse about how awesome life is when you downsize your living space.
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The “downsizing” process is depicted in fascinating detail, and the best sequences in the film are those that depict this process. They’re imaginative, funny, and meticulously detailed. The removal of people’s gold teeth is necessary because their heads would otherwise explode if they were forced to downsize. In addition, all of the body hair is removed. These particulars lend support to a logical universe (it would have been funny to see some of the disastrous early attempts to “go small,” a tiny man trailing a beard 20 miles long, etc.) In the recovery rooms of Leisureland, Paul discovers that Audrey had pulled out of the wedding at the last minute due to illness. (Unfortunately, this also means that Wiig will not be appearing in the film.) Paul is now on his own to get through the town of Smallville. Christopher Waltz plays his typical schtick as Dusan Mirkovic, Dusan’s party-hound Eurotrash upstairs neighbor who tries to persuade him to have some fun with the fact that he’s small. Dusan’s Vietnamese cleaning lady (Hong Chau), Ngoc Lan Tran (Hong Chau), however, captures Paul’s attention (whose escape to America in a television box caused an international incident.)
Downsizing Quiz
Through Ngoc Lan, Paul learns about the darker side of Leisureland, including its rigid and racist class system, as well as the built-in haves and have-nots of our world, all of which contribute to the overall picture of Leisureland. Ngoc Lan resides in a dilapidated tenement complex outside the “Truman Show” walls of Leisureland, just outside the city limits. She takes care of everyone, bringing food to the hungry and medicine to the sick, and she does it all for free. She enlists the assistance of Paul in this endeavor. She is not going to take no for an answer! Contrary to his wishes, Paul is dragged along into a world where helping others simply because it is the right thing to do is the standard of conduct.
Also, you will find out which character are you in this Downsizing quiz.
There are numerous issues with this entire situation. The fact that Ngoc Lan is such a strong character, and that Chau is so funny, strident, and bossy, means that she takes over the entire film. Easily. Matt Damon doesn’t have a chance in this game. Although this may be the entire point, it makes for a very unbalanced viewing experience. Every “Everyman” needs to have a little “oomph” of his or her own if he or she is to be the focus of a film or television show. He serves as our “entrance.” Through his eyes, we are able to see the extraordinary world around us. This is the ultimate “Everyman,” and his journey from depressive resentful sacrifice to redemption and human belonging in “It’s a Wonderful Life” is still searingly powerful today. Because George Bailey appears to be a real man, we can identify strongly with his experiences. Paul, on the other hand, is barely visible in “Downsizing.” When people say things like “It would have been a better movie if this interesting side character had been the lead character instead,” I find it irritating because there’s no guarantee that it would have been a better movie in that case. Nonetheless, it’s abundantly clear that almost everyone onscreen—Dusan, Ngoc Lan, and even the long-lost wife Audrey—is a more interesting and fleshed-out character than the generic Paul in this film. Paul is a disappointment as a commoner.
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Interestingly, the premise of “Downsizing” shares some similarities with Ari Folman’s excellent 2014 film “The Congress,” which takes place in a future that is so similar to our own that it triggers disturbing echoes. As depicted in “The Congress,” technology has the ability to transform human beings into their own avatars, resulting in an endless stream of computer-generated and cartoon doppelgangers, with the “original” becoming completely lost among the replications. Humanity has chosen obsolescence as a result of technological advancement. In contrast to “Downsizing,” however, “The Congress” takes its initial premise and pushes it to the very edge of what is possible (so far out there that the entire second half of the film is animated). “The Congress” is a piercing cry of mourning for humanity’s follies, for the mistakes we have made, and for how carelessly we have treated the gifts we have been given, because it takes its premise so seriously and explores the emotional ramifications of said premise. Paul’s job of delivering trays of food to the Leisureland poor doesn’t quite cut it anymore.
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But at the very least, Udo Kier appears in the film as a five-inch-tall retired sea captain in “Downsizing.” You don’t come across something like that on a daily basis.
For more personality quizzes check this: Downsizing Quiz.
