Materialists: A Love Triangle That Misses the Mark!

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As a movie enthusiast, I can’t help but express my admiration for Céline Song who made a stunning debut with her poignantly sweet romantic drama, “Past Lives”. This film, upon its release, was met with near unanimous praise and rightfully so, as it later earned Academy Award nominations for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay. It truly lived up to every ounce of acclaim it received. “Past Lives” was a beautifully crafted and heartfelt cinematic piece that introduced a promising new talent in the world of filmmaking.

After her 2023 hit, Song releases “Materialists”, another romantic drama. However, unlike her first film, it lacks the enduring impact. In this production, she collaborates with prominent stars like Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, and Pedro Pascal. Regrettably, there’s no standout performance on par with Greta Lee. Dakota Johnson delivers a strong lead in a character that suits her style well. Chris Evans plays it more subdued, presenting a run-of-the-mill character. And while Pascal is suitably charming, he seems surprisingly lackluster in most scenes, save for one where his lines feel particularly engaging and less like they were written on paper.

As a movie enthusiast, I recently found myself immersed in the quirky world of elite urban matchmaking, depicted in the film “Materialists.” In this captivating narrative, we’re introduced to Lucy (played by Johnson), a seasoned Cupid working for Adore Matchmaking in the bustling heart of Manhattan. Her unique role is to assist singles who are finding it challenging to locate their soulmates. In her line of work, people are evaluated using sabermetrics – a statistical analysis method – and matches become mere equations. If two individuals tick enough boxes, Lucy orchestrates their meetings, with their future marriages serving as her badge of success.

Lucy excels at her profession as a matchmaker, and her colleagues often commend her for it, having successfully arranged the ninth marriage of one of her clients. In her private life, however, Lucy prefers to stay single, setting exceptionally high standards for any man she considers dating. “The next person I date,” she declares decisively, “I’m going to marry.

However, those standards are put to the test when she attends her latest client’s wedding. It’s there that she encounters one of the groomsmen, named Harry (Pascal). He is handsome, self-assured, courteous, and financially well-off. According to her firm’s statistical evaluation, he is a model 10. Yet, as they become better acquainted, Lucy is taken aback to discover John (Evans), an old flame, working as a waiter at the wedding reception.

Straight away, the stage isn’t set for another typical movie love triangle in this story. Fortunately, Song steers clear of that familiar path. Instead, her narrative delves into the intricacies of modern relationships and urban dating, without the cliché of a woman torn between two competitive men. There’s no power struggle with Lucy not being stuck in the middle. Moreover, neither Harry nor John are portrayed as antagonists. On the contrary, they embody distinct types of relationships. In essence, the plot can be seen as a contrast between blue-collar and white-collar lifestyles, but without any prejudice or misrepresentation towards either character.

The film presents a varied perspective on dating, love, and marriage, creating an engaging exploration of contemporary views. However, it’s the romantic relationships within the plot that seem less developed. Lucy’s relationship with John appears most genuine but also predictable. In contrast, her connection with Harry rarely delves beyond superficiality. Remarkably, a subplot featuring a client named Sophie (Zoë Winters) is far more captivating and significantly influences Lucy’s character.

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2025-06-16 17:57