There’s a moment late in Alexander Payne’s science-fiction comedy “Downsizing” that balances a gentle burst of heartwarming sentimentality with a precisely timed comic jab. The narrative possibilities at this juncture seem endless, and the one that “Downsizing” settles on is both thoughtful and befuddling. There’s an unproductive tension between the mind-blowing possibilities of Payne’s sci-fi conceit and his natural inclination to give that conceit a human pulse. The smaller Paul gets, the more his vision expands, which makes for a surprisingly apt match of actor and character arc. On the evidence of this movie, the kind who shows a perplexing but admirable willingness to refuse the safety net.

Source: Los Angeles Times December 21, 2017 17:23 UTC