It's rare to see a science fiction film that is widely considered to be an Oscar contender months before its official release, but Alexander Payne's Downsizing has accomplished that rare feat. Maybe it's just because it's a new film coming from Payne, who took The Descendants and Nebraska to Oscar glory, but the hype has been building for this unique sci-fi fable for months. The concept itself was always inherently interesting, but when Paramount took 10 minutes of footage to April's CinemaCon in Vegas, bloggers and industry insiders officially solidified the film as a major contender. The excitement took a bit of a dip in recent weeks, as rumors began to swirl that the film was a bit of a mess, not quite living up to the potential of its basic ideas or the early footage. But the confidence that Paramount displayed in regards to the festival circuit was too strong to ignore, and yesterday, the film world watched closely as Downsizing opened the 74th edition of the Venice Film Festival. In addition, the studio also released a teaser for the full trailer, which will hit the web on September 12 and presumably play with Darren Aronofsky's mother! in theaters. Watch the 30 second tease below!
Obviously this tease is far too brief to give us a truly complete picture of what Payne's latest film will be like, but it's a well-edited clip, introducing us to the unique sense of scope and strange experience of this sci-fi tale. The trailer announcement was certainly enticing, but the main event for those interested in this film was the arrival of a set of glowing reviews yesterday. Not everyone was over the moon about Downsizing- The Daily Beast gave it a negative review, and Indiewire's Ben Croll was more muted in his praise, handing the film a "B-" grade. However, even with a few significant detractors, many were completely and totally in love. The current scores on Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes are 88 and 92, respectively, both rather strong for a festival opener. The Hollywood Reporter's Todd McCarthy was perhaps the most effusive in his praise, calling the movie "big and beautiful" and saying that it "feels both entirely of its time and timeless." The Guardian's Xan Brooks was thrilled as well, labeling the flick as a "miniature masterpiece." Variety and The Wrap were also enthused, and the overall consensus seems to be that we're in for a one-of-a-kind film with this one. I can't wait to check it out for myself.
Downsizing will play at this weekend's Telluride Film Festival and next weekend's Toronto International Film Festival before opening nationwide on December 22.
Obviously this tease is far too brief to give us a truly complete picture of what Payne's latest film will be like, but it's a well-edited clip, introducing us to the unique sense of scope and strange experience of this sci-fi tale. The trailer announcement was certainly enticing, but the main event for those interested in this film was the arrival of a set of glowing reviews yesterday. Not everyone was over the moon about Downsizing- The Daily Beast gave it a negative review, and Indiewire's Ben Croll was more muted in his praise, handing the film a "B-" grade. However, even with a few significant detractors, many were completely and totally in love. The current scores on Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes are 88 and 92, respectively, both rather strong for a festival opener. The Hollywood Reporter's Todd McCarthy was perhaps the most effusive in his praise, calling the movie "big and beautiful" and saying that it "feels both entirely of its time and timeless." The Guardian's Xan Brooks was thrilled as well, labeling the flick as a "miniature masterpiece." Variety and The Wrap were also enthused, and the overall consensus seems to be that we're in for a one-of-a-kind film with this one. I can't wait to check it out for myself.
Downsizing will play at this weekend's Telluride Film Festival and next weekend's Toronto International Film Festival before opening nationwide on December 22.
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