Norwegian scientist Dr. Jørgen Asbjørnsen invents miniaturization of human beings, shrinking people down to five inches. It is sold as environmental altruism and a way to live big on a budget. Married couple Paul (Matt Damon) and Audrey Safranek (Kristen Wiig) decides to do the downsizing but at the last minute, Audrey backs out and the couple eventually divorce. Paul is bitter and alone. He befriends his noisy neighbor Euro-playboy Dusan Mirkovic (Christoph Waltz) and Dusan's maid Ngoc Lan Tran, famed Vietnamese activist who was forcibly downsized.
Ngoc Lan Tran says something compelling about facing death in the ending. That's the big point of the movie. Director Alexander Payne certainly takes his sweet time. There's no reason for this movie to be more than two hours. The point can be streamlined without Audrey. The first half is really bloated. Matt Damon's everyman does not help. His lack of drive infects the movie. He makes the first half aimless. It should have been a fifteen minute introduction and then get to Dusan and Tran quickly. She's a breath of fresh air and actually gets a few laughs. The Norway part is lacking something and the ending premise is also lacking. I would rather they do something with the slums outside the dome for the ending. There is already some rooting interest built up with the inhabitants of the slums. Going to Norway is a distracting side trip. There is a lot of world building that I question in this movie. There is a compelling movie inside this bloated film somewhere and I enjoyed that movie.
Ngoc Lan Tran says something compelling about facing death in the ending. That's the big point of the movie. Director Alexander Payne certainly takes his sweet time. There's no reason for this movie to be more than two hours. The point can be streamlined without Audrey. The first half is really bloated. Matt Damon's everyman does not help. His lack of drive infects the movie. He makes the first half aimless. It should have been a fifteen minute introduction and then get to Dusan and Tran quickly. She's a breath of fresh air and actually gets a few laughs. The Norway part is lacking something and the ending premise is also lacking. I would rather they do something with the slums outside the dome for the ending. There is already some rooting interest built up with the inhabitants of the slums. Going to Norway is a distracting side trip. There is a lot of world building that I question in this movie. There is a compelling movie inside this bloated film somewhere and I enjoyed that movie.