Star Cast: Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, Pedro Pascal
Director: Celine Song
Materialists Movie Review Synopsis:
MATERIALISTS is the story of a woman being wooed by two men. Lucy Maison (Dakota Johnson) lives in New York and works in a matrimonial company named Adore. She’s great at her work and her team is celebrating her ninth successful pairing, Charlotte (Louisa Jacobson) and Peter. She attends their wedding where she meets Harry Castillo (Pedro Pascal), the brother of the groom. She attempts to make him a client while he wants to take her out on a date. At the wedding, she also bumps into her ex-boyfriend John (Chris Evans), who is working as a caterer at the venue. John drops her home and sparks fly between the two. Meanwhile, Harry attempts to woo Lucy. Lucy always wanted to marry a wealthy, successful man and he fits the bill. Hence, they start dating. Meanwhile, Lucy is trying her best to get a match for her client, Sophie (Zoë Winters). After many unsuccessful attempts, she manages to find one but things go horribly wrong. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Materialists Movie Story Review:
Celine Song tells a story that is relatable, especially for the Indian audience. Celine Song’s screenplay is a bit dry and unconventional but it works. The dialogues are one of the USPs. This is a talk-heavy film and the conversations take the story forward. However, a few one-liners come across as unintentionally funny.
Celine Song’s direction is lovely. The first thing that strikes you is that the execution is a bit like film festival cinema and also on the lines of her past work, PAST LIVES [2023]. Therefore, get ready for long takes and shots with no background music. The opening scene seems bizarre at first; one might fear that they are watching the wrong movie! Even the final scene during the credits is so hatke. However, the plot is true to life. For Indians, the film will appeal as it’s all about aspects that are commonplace in our country like matchmaking, people marrying for money, couples breaking up because one of them is broke, etc. A few scenes that stand out are Lucy meeting Harry and John at the wedding, Lucy checking out Harry’s mansion when making out with him, Lucy-John’s break-up, Sophie confronting Lucy, etc.
On the flipside, the art cinema style execution hampers the impact in some places. The conclusion is simplistic. Though the beliefs of the characters are practical, some dialogues might be unintentionally problematic. Lastly, the ‘A’ certification is needless. It is shocking that the CBFC (Central Board of Film Certification) gave such a rating and also for the studio to even accept it.
Materialists Movie Review Performances:
Dakota Johnson rises from the MADAME WEB [2024] debacle and delivers a dominating and confident performance. Chris Evans, as always, seems dashing and makes the performance of a vulnerable and pragmatic chap believable. Pedro Pascal has less screen time but makes up for it with his handsome looks and fine performance. Zoë Winters is apt for the part and has a crucial role. Marin Ireland (Violet) lends able support. Louisa Jacobson makes her presence felt despite being there in just one scene.
Materialists movie music and other technical aspects:
Daniel Pemberton’s music is very minimal. Shabier Kirchner’s cinematography is satisfactory. Anthony Gasparro’s production design is classy while Katina Danabassis’ costumes are stylish and glamorous. Keith Fraase’s editing is slick.
Materialists Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, MATERIALISTS explores the themes of matchmaking and relationships, topics that deeply resonate with the Indian audience. It has healthy advance sales and thus, has the potential to surprise at the box office, despite competition from two big Hollywood releases.