Review 756: Materialists

Watching the trailer for Materialists, I was concerned that this might be a well cast but ultimately, bog standard and shallow rom com. Thankfully that turned our to not be the case at all what it really is, is Celine's Song's lovely  and follows her wonderful Past Lives from about 2 years ago.

Lucy Mason (Dakota Johnson) is a star matchmaker at Adore, a matchmaking company in New York and believes love is a numbers game. Her beliefs are put to the test when two potential suitors for her come along at once.                                                                                                                                               One is Harry Castillo (Pedro Pascal), a suave, wealthy bachelor who's perfect on paper and can offer the lifestyle she covets. The other is her ex, John Pitts (Chris Evans), a struggling actor working as a cater-waiter, whose messy lifestyle is her biggest hindrance. But how do you choose between the life you want and the love you need?

That is question at the heart of Materialists, a movie about dating   Not only is it a continuation of the themes that Song explored in Past Lives like intimacy, identity and modern relationships but it's also about the merchandising of the idea of affection and the way in which we objectify ourselves and other people. A refreshingly nuanced look at self-worth and the challenges of finding the right partner in a This movie is inspired by Celine Song's experiences working as a matchmaker in New York while trying to make it as a playwright. It's a romantic comedy by genre but what rises it above  is that it's messy and complex and not always easy to understand. In matchmaking, Lucy is dealing with love and finding a suitable partner and sometimes a partner for life, but there's really no language that she can really use to describe who a person may be. 

This is a well made, handsome looking film that takes us into the heart of a winsome and dreamy version of New York. It's a place where real romance meets fantasy; the gateway to your dream life could be just around the corner  That's the Manhattan that Lucy sells to her clients. The cinematography is beautiful, creating a picturesque, idealised version of New York that's full of rich, warm colours from deep maroons & pure whites to rich creams. The production design is all marvellous, a fabulous blend of  and the John's rundown apartment creates a nice contrast with the lavish penthouse that Lucy and Harry find themselves staying in.

the score by Daniel Pemberton is sorrowful and gentle

Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans and Pedro Pascal are fantastic in their roles. The love triangle that develops between Lucy, John & Harry is very a back and forth between the different roads that she could take. 

Lucy is someone from lowly beginnings. She was born poor, raised poor, is a college dropout and a failed actress. She is very good at her job and she wants people to find love, but she's pretty shut off to the idea herself. Over the course of the film, she learns to appreciate and love someone for who they are and not for who she wishes them to be. 

I've always enjoyed Chris Evans as Steve Rogers in the Captain America movies but this might be some of his best work in recent years. Chris is a sensitive soul which he brings a warmth and a vulnerability to the role of John 

Pascal's Harry, on the other hand, is wealthy, charismatic and debonair. He admires Lucy for her intelligence and views her as an equal. Harry, for his part, doesn't see John as much of a threat simply because they're living in a very materialist world  The film makes it clear that Lucy and Harry are not a good match for each other. Harry only sees their relationship in business terms, no relationship can survive that.