How difficult is it to find the perfect match, the person you are prepared to commit to for the rest of your life? If you buy into the conceit of the new romantic drama Materialists, it is a shark pool out there and finding Mr or Mrs Right is the stuff of nightmares. That is why they turn to matchmaker extraordinaire Lucy (Dakota Johnson), who is as smooth an operator as they come. Her patter and track record speak for her.
The firm has just celebrated her ninth marriage of couples she has matched. Her boss, Violet (Marin Ireland), recognises her talent for bringing people together. But at 35, her personal situation is decidedly different. She is decidedly single and is only prepared to hitch her wagon to somebody wealthy. So, it is that at the wedding of her ninth match she is hit upon by a debonaire rich guy.
Financier Harry Castillo (Pedro Pascal) happens to be the brother of the groom. Although she tries to keep her distance, he woos her and the two do get together. At the same time, she bumps into her ex of five years, whom she hasn’t seen for ages. John (Chris Evans) is a struggling theatre actor, who just gets by taking on hospitality jobs. One of those happens to be at this wedding.
He lives in a tiny, dirty apartment with two roommates, who don’t respect each other’s personal space. Lucy broke up with him because he was – and remains – poor, but there is still a spark between them. Among those for whom Lucy is finding it hard to find a soulmate is 39-year-old Sophie (Zoe Winters). Then something happens to Sophie that shatters not only her, but Lucy. Trying to deal with it will test both of them.
What I appreciated about writer and director Celine Song’s first film, Past Lives, is both its originality and that it looked and felt real. Past Lives dealt with childhood friends reuniting many years later as adults. I found Materialists less convincing. It took a while to settle and take off. Even though it had some light bulb moments, overall I felt it was slow, awkward and ultimately too long (its running time is just shy of two hours).
The dialogue often sounded like a series of feel good cliches. Nor was I convinced by the characterisations of any of the major players. They appeared “try hard” to me. My biggest criticism is that the film never settled on what it wanted to be – a hard drama, a rom-com or a love story. While it had elements of each, Materialists lurched from one to another and back again.
Perhaps, being a middle-aged white guy, I am not the right target audience. But, in fairness, I generally like chick flicks (which this is) as much – no, probably more – than most blokes. I am certainly not saying don’t see Materialists. Rather, enter the cinema with a level of healthy cynicism and then, I dare say, you will still get to appreciate elements of it.
Score: 6 to 6½ out of 10.
Alex First
Here are Jacqui Hammerton’s thoughts about the film:
Talk about a heart-breaker – I almost wept with disappointment at this ugly, sluggish film that follows writer and director Celine Song’s debut beauty Past Lives (2023). Materialists, billed as a rom-com, is too long, slow and tedious. It’s heavy-handed in its preachy dialogue, its TV soapie-style direction and its predictable outcomes. The upbeat music track promised in the trailer is noticeably absent.
The self-absorbed singles who are desperately dating are only marginally less ghastly than the squealing clones employed at the matchmaking agency. (Would it be cynical of me to wonder if the film has a connection to an online dating app carrying the same name?) A cool Dakota Johnson is passable in her role, but oddly lacking chemistry with anyone, and neither of the male leads lights up the screen. Everyone seems to be holding back.
The potential for one meaningful sub-plot – the issue of assault while on an organised date – is unresolved, and a second, less credible sub-plot involving cosmetic surgery is just icky. Even the title irritates me. Love For Money is more a match for its shallowness, though for my money, there’s no love here.
Score: 3 out of 10.
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Alex First is the editor of The Blurb. Alex is a Melbourne based journalist and communications specialist. He also contributes to The Blurb on film and theatre.
