THE STORY – A young New York City matchmaker’s lucrative business gets complicated as she finds herself torn between the perfect match and her imperfect ex.
THE CAST – Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, Pedro Pascal, Zoë Winters & Marin Ireland
THE TEAM – Celine Song (Director/Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 117 Minutes
“It’s that simple.”
Playwright turned Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Celine Song has a distinct ability to distill the most intricate concepts of the human heart into something achingly simple yet profoundly resonant. This was evident in “Past Lives,” her feature directorial debut, and “Materialists” is yet another example of that talent. It’s genuinely refreshing to see contemporary characters in this genre actually trying to communicate and work through their problems rather than shutting down and avoiding conflict. The result is something more honest, mature, and emotionally rewarding than what is usually found within the genre that nowadays favors cheap jokes and viral internet videos to sell audiences romance as something frivolous and humorous. But love is more complex than that because we as human beings are more complex than that. Just as Song’s decision to cast three Hollywood megastars in her sophomore effort could be seen as a cash-grab, commercial marketing decision should not take away from the fact that Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, and Pedro Pascal are, despite their fame and success, still human beings who feel and experience life’s universal concepts and emotions the same as we all do. Thanks to Song’s perceptive writing, assured direction, and three rich, perfectly cast performances, her second film may lean more “rom” than “com,” but her skills as a filmmaker which made us fall in love with her due to her first film are present here as well and will leave you smiling all the same.
“Materlaists” begins with an unexpected yet thematically rich cold open: a couple in prehistoric times, nestled in a cave, professing their love to one another. It’s a striking way to contextualize everything that follows, reminding us that love has always been primal, universal, and everlasting, even before the modern institution of marriage, algorithms, and dating apps. We then jump to present-day New York City, where everything is unaffordable and Lucy (Johnson) thrives as the top matchmaker at a luxury service called ADORE. She’s been the driving force behind nine successful marriages but lives alone, insists she’s voluntarily celibate, and earns just under six figures. She’s cynical but sharp, able to size people up instantly. Her job is to help others find love, yet she remains paralyzed by her own desires as she uses her advice to quickly judge men based on their age, height, weight, occupation, income, etc. Chris Evans plays John, Lucy’s ex, an underachieving playwright who never finished high school, lives with roommates in a cramped, rundown apartment, and pays $830 in rent. He’s creatively fulfilled, maybe even spiritually rich, but certainly not in material terms. Pedro Pascal’s Harry Castillo is the polar opposite: a suave, wildly wealthy private equity guy living in a $12 million apartment. In Lucy’s world, Harry is considered a “unicorn” – tall, charming, and successful. He checks every box and is regarded as a 10/10.
Despite the setup between these three main characters, “Materialists” isn’t really a love triangle. It’s a character study and a commentary on modern love, marriage, and the commodification of romantic connection. What does it take for two people to be soulmates? Can an algorithm rank compatibility based on salary, race, political beliefs, or height? And more importantly, does any of it matter? Lucy’s career and worldview are tested when she reconnects and tries to reconcile her feelings for John, the man who knows and accepts her for who she is, with the comfort and safety that someone like Harry can provide, even if he’s not financially as wealthy. As Song subtly suggests, sometimes, those who grew up with nothing crave not love but security. And in a culture where the pursuit of wealth is tied to identity, status, and success, who could blame them? There’s a particularly crushing subplot involving one of Lucy’s clients, Sophie (a phenomenal Zoë Winters), who is matched with a man (voiced but never seen by “Past Lives” star John Magaro) who turns out to be abusive. The fallout leads Lucy to question not only her abilities as a matchmaker but the very foundation of what she’s built her life around. Dating is always a risk. So is love. But what do we deserve?
Celine Song brings a sure, steady hand to the pacing, tone, and emotional texture of the film. Many were worried, with the casting of three big Hollywood names and no film festival premiere, that she would be going down a far more commercial and watered-down route compared to “Past Lives,” but “Materialists” proves to be precisely the opposite, drawing upon our very notions of who these stars are and using that to contextualize the film’s themes on how we shouldn’t size people up and assume we know who they are based on materialism. Song’s direction allows the actors the space to bring interiority and weight to every choice they make. Evans, in particular, delivers a knockout moment toward the end of the film in what might go down as one of the great romantic monologues in cinema: “When I see your face, I see wrinkles and children that look like you. Where does that leave us?” It’s a plea, a promise, and a philosophy all at once: love isn’t logical, it isn’t earned, and it doesn’t always make sense. But it’s real. And that’s enough.
Dakota Johnson delivers one of her finest performances to date as her calm, sweet, and empathetic line delivery makes for a flawless matchmaker who can effortlessly deal with a wide array of clients and all of the complicated emotions they bring to the table. Lucy is an active listener with a good heart, even if she doesn’t believe so herself. Still, it’s through her interactions with her clients and particularly Sophie that we see someone actively trying, desperately, to navigate tricky waters that are not meant to be transversed, but sometimes you need to surrender yourself and let the current take you where you’re meant to go. Through these admirable qualities, we understand John’s undying love for Lucy despite their financial problems and slim prospects of an easy life together. Johnson fabulously brings these interior feelings out in a deeply felt and effectively communicated performance that highlights all of her best qualities as an actress.
If Evans is considered cast against type by some, then Pascal is perfectly cast for his kind as the hotter-than-ever leading man is put up on a pedestal by those around him and not presented as the villain of the story but as a three-dimensional person who also wants to have a say in how his life turns out, hopefully with Lucy. Song’s decision never to make Harry a direct antagonist is just another refreshing example of the level of maturity found in her work that we rarely see in big-screen romantic films nowadays. It would’ve been so comfy to make this a morally black-and-white film with juvenile jokes and easy-to-define characters that would appeal more to a mass audience, but what we’re given here is (not fifty) shades of grey that is still subtly handled, allowing the actors to dig deep and show us they’re more than we may think on the surface.
Despite its rom-com marketing, “Materialists” is a melancholic romance, clear-eyed, current, and devastatingly human. It may not be as surprisingly effective as “Past Lives” was, but Song once again proves that she’s one of the most emotionally intelligent filmmakers working today, not offering straightforward answers but providing thought-provoking questions we can feel in our bones. So, what is true love? Part of it is making someone feel valuable to you. The rest, perhaps, is just the courage to take the gamble. But why do we actively pursue it if it’s a gamble that can break your heart? As Lucy says, “Because we’re lonely and hopeful.” John and Lucy were born and raised poor, and for most, sometimes, you simply want to break through this cycle, which is understandable. But money does not buy you happiness. It does, however, buy you options that can make life easier. But having the right partner to go through it is what makes life worth living.
