To combat overpopulation, scientists are developing a process to reduce the size of humans by about 12 centimeters. This process is “downsizing”, making everyone realize that downsizing is primarily a good opportunity to significantly increase their standard of living. This is the funny pitch of Downsizing, a film like no other directed by Matt Damon and available on Netflix.
This reduction is a small treat. Because behind the pure entertainment that captivates, there is a sharp and ironic social satire that challenges and makes this film highly recommended. Not to mention that Matt Damon, in this amazing sci-fi comedy, finds one of his best roles here, and that the rest of the cast, especially Kristen Wiig, Christoph Waltz and Jason Sudeikis, agrees.
Downsizing, which opened in French theaters in early 2018, benefited from a budget estimated at $65 million to $90 million. A work signed by Alexander Payne (Mr. Schmidt, The Descendants), who had to take on the technical challenge with his team to make several actors look smaller on screen. The challenge is… a big one!
“We used real photos and authentic photography techniques whenever possible to anchor the images in reality, even if we turned them into infographics.”– says visual effects supervisor James Price. “We first shot all of our backgrounds on set, then stage elements and character accessories were scaled down against a green background. By integrating the green screen footage with the footage, we got the feeling that the scaled-down figures were in their normal state. – Scale shot.
James Price performs: “In addition to traditional techniques, we used digital technology, namely 3D printers to make 12-centimeter dolls that served as doubles and software that allowed us to precisely measure shooting angles suitable for these dolls and normal-sized actors. That’s how we can know their field of vision, and the green screen actors fit perfectly into what’s next.”
With Downsizing, Matt Damon joins a list of diminutive actors on the big screen, including Grant Williams in The Shrinking Man, Robert Oliver and Amy O’Neill in Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Dennis Quaid in Adventure or, more recently, Gene. Dujardin in A Man Who Is Up and Paul Rudd in Ant-Man.
A sci-fi comedy that entertains and makes you think, Downsizing is high-quality entertainment to quickly discover. Available on Netflix.
Trailer for “Drive-Away Dolls” with Pedro Pascal and Matt Damon:
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
