Downsizing - 2 smiles

"Downsizing" is a serious movie dealing with serious issues: environmental irresponsibility (including climate change) being the most important and director/co-writer Alexander Payne does in effective job of world-building. It's too bad that the primary story is unremarkable. The first third of the movie is engaging, with a mix of satire and the sci-fi premise of shrinking people. The final 90 minutes is mediocre at best and the denouement just fizzles. The more interesting character is not Matt Damon's Paul Safranek, but Hong Chau's Vietnam refugee Ngoc Lan Tran (in spite of her stereotypical broken English). Because it is her character that delves into the life behind the curtain of opulence that 'downsizing' offers.

In the future, scientists are able to 'downsize' people, an increasingly popular option for cash-strapped middle-class citizens seeking to stretch their money, although envisioned as a way to affect the environment in a positive way. Paul and his wife, Audrey (Kristen Wiig), decide to take the plunge when their mortgage re-fi application is rejected due to a poor earnings-to-debt ratio. They learn that their assets of $150K will be worth $12M in 'Leisureland.' But when Paul awakens from the procedure, he learns that Audrey has changed her mind. Instead of living in a luxurious mansion, he's forced to rent an apartment with an obnoxious neighbor, Dusan Mirkovic (Christoph Waltz) and take a job for a cleaning service run by Ngoc Lan Tran (Hong Chau), who was forced by her government to under go downsizing. It's with her that Paul discovers that even in miniature, the human condition has its 'haves' and 'have nots.' And this is where the initial playful tone becomes preachy and then Payne throws in an 'end of the world' scenario.' Huh? There are some good things about "Downsizing," but the story doesn't support its important concepts.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri - 2 1/2 smiles

"Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" is a black comedy that banks its effectiveness on Frances McDormand and almost succeeds. Her character, Mildred Hayes, is a force to be reckoned with as she marches into the local rental agency and lays her life savings down on those billboards, blank space she rents to send a message to local sheriff Willoughby (Woody Harrelson) that asking nicely every day hasn't accomplished. Specifically, that her daughter has been dead for seven months, raped and beaten and burned alive, and no one has come close to catching who did it. Surprisingly, the action in the first half is from the perspective of Chief Willoughby, not Mildred. It is Willoughby who is pressured to solve the murder and whose terminal diagnosis puts an unofficial time limit on solving the case. It is Willoughby who keeps racist Deputy Jason Dixon (Sam Rockwell) on the payroll. And for the first half of the movie, "Three Billboards" is effective with its mix of heartbreak and humor that juggles some of today's weightier issues.

Unfortunately, things change when Willoughby (not wanting to waste away in front of his wife and kids) commits suicide about the midway point. With him gone, there's no one to balance Mildred's anger and Dixon's brutality. And while Mildred's character remains consistent, it's Dixon that finds a kind of redemption and changes the most - maybe changing too much within the scope of the story. Frances McDormand and Sam Rockwell will certainly receive Oscar nominations for their roles in "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri." I would have preferred the second half to have been a little closer match to the first half.

Shape of Water - 4 smiles

"The Shape of Water," written and directed by Guillermo del Toro, is an adult fairy tale, a version of Beauty and the Beast where the beast looks like the Creature from the Black Lagoon and Beauty is mute. It is a heartfelt story where appearance is not a measure of beauty, gentleness and compassion. The movie, set in the 1960s when the real world, mixes Russia and the Cold War with fantasy. The three protagonists are members of a minority or suffer from a disability: Sally Hawkins' Elisa is mute, Octavia Spencer's Zelda is black and Richard Jenkins' Giles is a closeted gay man, while the antagonist, Michael Shannon's Strickland, is a clean-cut, hard-working WASP. This allows del Toro to make social commentary way before the conflict at the heart of the story begins. The romantic aspect of the movie illustrates why this is not your conventional love story. Both Elisa and the creature are lonely souls. We know little about his background except he was 'discovered' in the Amazon where he was worshipped as a god. Elisa's story is equally murky, although we learn that, as a child, she was orphaned after someone tried to slit her throat. The message is very clear: physical appearance is irrelevant; it's the heart that matters.

Sally Hawkins gives the best performance in a career full of top-notch portrayals. She sells the movie, transforming an inter-species romance into something delicate and delightful. And she does this without any dialogue. Few actors can convey menace better than Michael Shannon. His scary intensity makes Strickland a frightening villain; a sadist, a butcher, an ugly patriot. Richard Jenkins mixes wry humor with deep compassion as Giles and an underused Octavia Spencer brings warmth to the stereotyped 'best friend' role. Doug Jones, who spent hours in makeup, imbues the amphibious man with a degree of humanity that makes his relationship with Elisa all the more believable. "The Shape of Water" is a special movie with relevant themes and a strong payoff. It rebukes intolerance and affirms love in all its forms. This is one of the year's best motion pictures.

Coco - 3 1/2 smiles

"Coco," Pixar's latest, is a family-friendly effort that challenges with ideas rather than smothering with silliness. And when working with original material (rather than a sequel like Cars 3), Pixar is at its best. "Coco" takes us deep into Mexican culture by setting the movie south of the border on the Dia de Metros (Day of the Dead), when the spirits of the departed can visit their living relatives. In the Rivera household, music is banned. The ban dates back several generations when a woman, Mama Imelda (Alanna Ubach), was abandoned by her musician husband and left to raise her daughter alone. Despite the prohibition imposed by his great-great-grandmother, however, Miguel (Anthony Gonzalez) lives for music. Bolstered by the 'do what you must to follow your dream' motto of his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz (Benjamin Bratt), Miguel seeks to prove himself in a talent contest, but his unorthodox means of obtaining a guitar catapult him and his dog Dante into the land of the dead, where he meets not only Hector (Gael Garcia Bernal), a good-natured con-artist, but many of his ancestors, including Mama Imelda. Not being a spirit, Miguel has until dawn to return to the Land of the Living lest he remain trapped forever. But when Mama Imelda offers to send him back, he balks at her condition and instead seeks out Ernesto de la Cruz, with whom he believes he shares a special connection.

Director Lee Unkrich (Toy Story 2, Monsters Inc., and Finding Nemo) understands how to blend child-appropriate material with mature themes. And while it doesn't work on two levels, like Toy Story 3, it comes close. It's strong enough to engage young viewers and their parents. And it has the requisites for a popular movie: the young protagonist is likable, the animal sidekick is cute, the villain is suitably nasty and there's lots of heart and soul. And while the music is not particularly memorable, the theme of family is an important one. The story focuses on Miguel's desire to find his father, Hector's love for his daughter, and the shared bond that develops between the two. The movie also highlights Dia de Metros customs and uses them to take us into a fantasy world. And there's plenty of comedy to go along with the emotion. "Coco" may not rate at the top of Pixar's best (like Up, Wall-E and Toy Story), but it's certainly close.

Justice League - 2 smiles

Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) is the best thing about "Justice League" and that's unfortunate. Especially since DC Films is trying to compete with the more enjoyable Marvel movies (e.g., Thor, Avengers, Captain America, etc.) And because Wonder Woman has to share screen time with Bat Man (Ben Affleck) and Superman (Henry Cavill) and help introduce new characters, Aqua Man (Jason Momoa), Flash (Ezra Miller), and Cyborg (Ray Fisher), all of the good will created by director Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman, is diluted. And 70% of the plot is set-up for future tales and background exposition. In addition, the visuals and tone are dark, making the movie seem heavier than it needs to be. It's villain, Steppenwolf (a motion-captured Ciaran Hinds), has a poorly-defined back story and a confusing goal that has something to do with becoming a new god and possibly destroying the world in the process.

The movie does succeed in creating the Justice League and getting the team interactions right. The bantering helps lighten the tone and Ezra Miller's Flash adds much needed comic relief. For the next Justice League film to be better, the story will need to be stronger and the characters will have to have a clearer sense of purpose. Marvel got out of the gate first, but DC has the more recognizable heroes (comic-book wise). I hope that means something for their next effort.