Matt Damon, the star of the Bourne movies is an actor who likes to try his hand at different things, but interestingly, despite having comic moments in a number of films, as well as a recurring guest role in the last two seasons of 30 Rock, he has made very few straight-down-the-line comedies.
DOWNSIZING is a comedy. However, it’s also made by Alexander Payne (SIDEWAYS,THE DESCENDANTS) and it’s a movie about a particular solution to the problem of planetary over-population. So it’s funny, but it also a thinker. Payne is exploring the humour and the underlying ideas behind dealing with overpopulation and self-sacrifice for the greater good.
It is the near future and certain people are volunteering to be shrunk to a tiny size–around 15 cm in height–in order to live in smaller locations and using a tinier portion of the Earth’s resources. Married couple the Safraneks, Paul (Damon) and Audrey (Kristen Wiig), decide to undergo this radical and irreversible transformation. Cue tiny actors and big, big laffs! The cast is solid and includes Christoph Waltz, Jason Sudeikis and James Van Der Beek.
DOWNSIZING hits Aussie big screens on Boxing Day, 2017. Until then, enjoy this tiny sample of its delights.
