Reversed "in proportion to"?

[Joel S. Berson]

In a review of the movie "The Spectacular Now" by Ty Barr in the
Boston Globe Aug. 16:

"He's the [high sechool] kid everyone loves and nobody can rely on,
the larger-than-life goofball whose legendary status on campus is in
indirect proportion to the mess he'll make of his life."  [The review
indicates he makes a mess of his life up to the end of the movie, but
it is vague about whether he recovers or simply becomes aware of his mess-ups.]

To me, this "in indirect proportion" is reversed.  "Legendary" status
in "indirect proportion" to "mess" tells me he will make only a
*small* mess of his life.  Am I wrong?

Joel

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