MATERIALISTS. Starring Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, Pedro Pascal. Director: Celine Song. 117 minutes. Rating: M
I enjoyed this movie. It had rom-com elements but at its core it had a strong message about dating today and the demands and conditions that people want in a prospective partner as they sign up for this modern day ‘market’. It is scary out there, if this film is anything to go by, and I am so glad I met my husband the old-fashioned way (in a writing class) where it was just love and everything else followed.
Lucy (Johnson) is a matchmaker in New York City. She’s a go-ahead girl, good at her job, nine marriages so far, and wants to marry a rich man. She was dating waiter/actor John (Evans) for five years but dropped him a number of years ago as she could not stand the poverty of his situation. She likes nice things, expensive things and because she is dealing with wealthy customers she sees what their lives are like, and it has a certain material appeal.
She attends the wedding of one of her clients and there she meets Harry (Pascal) a handsome, rich, attentive older man, who makes a play for her. Who should be on the waiting staff but her ex and they greet each other warmly. Later she ducks outside to have a cigarette and chats to John and it’s clear that there is still a connection. But he is still poor, still living in a share house and has only just landed an audition for a play. He asks her to its premiere.
By the time the premiere comes around, Lucy is seeing Harry more seriously, so they both attend. Harry has besieged her with flowers and dinner at the best restaurants and lives in a $12 million dollar apartment. John knows he can’t compete with Harry financially when Lucy mentions she and Harry are flying off to Iceland for a mini break. Later, Lucy discovers that Harry has an engagement ring and has had a certain operation to make him more attractive. This puts her right off. (Spoiler alert! A six-inch lengthening of his legs, ouch!)
There are some jokes in this film especially the one about marriage is about finding a partner for the nursing home. Lots of mentions about dating and doing the maths and ticking boxes. There was a wedding scene I enjoyed where everyone was dancing to Sweet Caroline – funny how one song can get everyone up as it did at my own daughter’s wedding last year.
In this film these brokered marriages are about mergers and there are comments that people are not merchandise or business propositions. One of the dates turns ugly and Lucy feels responsible. This becomes something of a turning point for her when she realises that the whole Adore matchmaking service is a vacuous and greedy enterprise exploiting people who are looking for love. There are some laughs at the types who use these services.
Happily, after a few wrong signals, for example, Luke admits that he can’t afford to be with Lucy, true love returns. I thought Evans did a great job and I think a few people in the audience fell for his honesty – or for him – when he confesses his undying love for Lucy.
He says to her that there is no maths to consider when you love someone. Lucy was focused and poppy in her matchmaking role but sort-of-knew that it was play acting. She had been an actress before but admitted that John had the real talent. I found Harry just a bit too smooth, but maybe that was the contrast with John who was authentically himself.
A good soundtrack and I am trying to chase up the 50s girl group song that was featured early in the film. Sometimes you hear a sample of a song and it intrigues.
One for the girls, or maybe newish couples, as this could elicit some interesting post-film conversations about the way new love is played out at the end of the first quarter of the 21st century.