Imagine a world where your money is worth a couple of hundred or a thousand times its current value. Would you like to live there? What if people told you it was actually possible but they needed to shrink you for it? Would you consider that?
While being presented with the above question - while watching this movie - I thought of my own situation. With the money that I accumulated since I got into cryptocurrency (last May) and on Steemit (last June), I can hardly survive in the current society. If it would be worth a hundred or a thousand times more, I would be a rich guy, though. It's these kind of interesting parallels that elevate a movie for me and make it actually one that I might remember for a while.
Paul Safranek, played by Matt Damon, is presented with the above dilemma. He dislikes his job and the kind of life his wife wants to live is hardly possible without any drastic changes.
I heard very different opinions on this movie beforehand. Some liked it, others didn't. I didn't let that influence me though. I always try to dive into a film as open minded as I can be. This time, I had hardly any expectations. The movie's theme - shrinking people to a couple of inches in length in order to deal with overpopulation of the world - appealed to me and I had enjoyed earlier movies by its director, namely: Sideways (2004) and Nebraska (2013)
I invited my mom to come along with me. We had seen Nebraska in cinema together a couple of years ago, I pretty much know her taste in films and usually know to find movies that both of us like. I'm also pretty sure she enjoys watching movies with me.
Right, mom? I know you will be reading this one of these days ;>)
Besides one or two exceptions - Michael Haneke's 'La Pianiste' (The Piano Teacher, 2001) being one of them - my mother usually tends to like the films that we watch together. The fact that (watching a) film is more than just escapism for me probably also makes it a little more special for her. I taught her a thing or two about movies.
Alright, enough talk on why my mom and I went to see this movie. I'm probably the only movie critic (for lack of a better word) to talk about their mother in their reviews. Although it would be an interesting theme while writing on a film like Hitchcock's Psycho. Now back to the film itself, Downsizing...
We enjoyed it a lot. Although it has a run time of 135 minutes - 2 hours and and a quarter - and there was no break, we didn't feel bored at all. It did not feel too lengthy. I had no urge to check my watch or phone. The length worked fine for the type of story. And it is not even an action movie, quite the opposite.
You don't find these kind of films, based on a well written screenplay, with a story that - although it seems to be a comedy - has this slightly realistic second layer to it. It's a not too far-fetched look into the future. I don't want to get too political here but go watch the trailer and - if you're not completely isolated from what's happening in the world - you will see that this satire definitely makes some valid points.
Okay, I will end it here with 5 reasons to actually watch this movie
- It has an original and pretty intelligent screenplay
- acting and dialogue are very good
- Downsizing is - at times - very funny
- It's the best Matt Damon Movie I've seen so far (action fans will probably disagree with me here but I don't care)
- It's the perfect date movie
I made the date movie thing up. You know I watched it with my mom, right?