Downsizing 2017

     The setting of this film is in the not too far future.  Dr. Jorgen Asbjornsen and his partner in Norway have discovered how to downsize people.  This process could save the planet.  Smaller people require much less of everything and they can have an affordable lifestyle with less money.  Audrey and Paul Safranek have been living in the home Paul lived in with his mother.  They would like to buy a different home but they can’t seem to afford anything that’s available.  They decide to downsize together and move to a new community with smaller people.  Audrey didn’t know that she would need to have her head shaved and also her eyebrows.  She backs out of the procedure and she divorces Paul.  This is a huge surprise to Paul and he can’t even consider going back to his old life now that he’s a small person.

     I think there needed to be more concise editing since the film is over 2 hours?  It's  listed as a comedy but I didn’t think this was funny?  The majority of the downsized people live in Leisureland where everything is “perfect?”  Surprisingly, what most of the residents don’t know is outside of Leisureland there are shantytowns.  The smaller people who do the cleaning and manual labor for a small wage live in these towns.  I may have changed my mind too if I was facing having all my hair cut off and also my eyebrows?  Sure, they would grow back but you never know what color or consistency?  Plus, your eyebrows might decide not to grow back at all??   2 ½* (This movie is so-so)

135 min, Drama, directed by Alexander Payne with Matt Damon, Christoph Waltz, Hong Chau, Kristen Wiig, Rolf Lassgard, Ingjerd Egeberg, Udo Kier, Koren Pilmark, Jason Sudeikis, Maribeth Monroe, Jayne Houdyshell, Phil Reeves, James Van Der Beek, Alison J. Palmer.

Note:  Imdb 5.7 out of 10, 51% critic 22% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 1 ½*, The Guardian 3* out of 5* Peter Bradshaw, Metacritic 63 out of 100 with 48 critics 5.5 out of 10 with 146 reviews.

Special Note:  Filmed in Trollfjord, Lofoten; Bergen, Hordaland; Tysfjord, Norway.  Omaha, Nebraska; Toronto, Waterloo, Markham Mississauga, Ontario, Canada; Lancaster, California.  Unfortunately for Matt Damon, his father passed away on the same day this film opened in the U.S.  This project is one of the most expensive projects to date for Director Alexander Payne.  The budget was $68 million and the opening weekend generated less than $9 million at US box offices.  The worldwide gross was $54.6 million for a loss.  Pre-production began in 2009 but was put on hold when Payne decided to focus on The Descendants and then Nebraska.