While I did like this movie, it was definitely not as effecting to me compared to Past Lives which remains my fav.
I’m not much of a romance consumer in books or movies, so Celine incorporating the dialogue and harsh truths that I do think a lot of romance films miss I loved because while talking about money, rent, not affording the life you want etc often kills romance I found it refreshing to say that part many people navigate refreshing. Also love a New York setting.
But I do agree, now that I think more on it, it didn’t warm my heart as I would’ve liked and I do think this movie is marketed wrong. It’s NOT a romantic comedy at all. There’s funny scenes but it’s a drama (which I also don’t mind but I think it sets up a wrong expectation). Lastly, I heard a critic about Dakota as an actress being the leading lady and how she doesn’t have the range to lead a movie emotionally and I do think I kind of agree. She is a bit emotionally rigid and I think it left her character feeling not as dynamic which I think contributed to the cold feeling. I want to watch it again but I overall did like it! I also loved how it was shot.
I saw a clip of Celine Song talking about Pride and Prejudice for the BBC anniversary of the miniseries and suddenly the movie The Materialists makes more sense to me. She says something like “P&P offers you the fantasy. What if the love of your life is also the solution to all of your economic problems?” Song is asking a similar question but in reverse. “What if the solution to all of your economic questions is NOT the love of your life but, boy, he sure does check a lot of boxes?” Perfect on paper but being with him doesn’t light you up. Do you marry him anyway knowing you’ll never love him as deeply and completely as you loved your ex? People on TikTok keep going on about the lack of character development and self improvement for John. But when you look at it from this perspective, John doesn’t really matter to the question that is being asked and the story that is being told here. He’s just a stand in for the ephemeral things she’s missing in her connection to Harry. Namely: chemistry. Giddiness. Butterflies. True physical attraction, which can’t be faked. I know we’re mostly “told” this rather than shown it, which is a storytelling no no. But if she’s still mooning after her ex after however many years apart, we can take it for granted that she really loved him, no? So the question becomes, what’s more important. Feelings or lifestyle. Obviously, irl the answer is both. You can’t eat feelings and you can’t emotionally sustain yourself for decades on money alone. You need some level of both love and money. How much of each will vary from person to person. But I appreciate a smart movie that at least asks the question and explores the issue on some depth.
I'm still trying to sort out my feelings on this movie a week later. Also, WILD that this was in part inspired by Celine Song's own experience as a matchmaker, which I fully cannot imagine.
Right? I feel like I need to know what other people think but it’s getting raves from all the trades and I’m like… did I just not get it? Or was it just not for me?
I’d like to add that the trailer for this film (though likely a typical length for films of this era/genre) was absurdly long and I exited early. Based on this review I wonder if I’ll do that the same for the film itself 🥲
Have not yet watched the movie but I love all these ponderings on relationships and money. First - the idea that only the most beautiful deserve the "top men" - I would love to hear your thoughts on why this attitude is gaining so much traction. I think a big reason is that people are living a bigger portion of their lives online, where they mostly interact with people by looking at them rather than actually interacting with real people in real life. Second - there does seem to be growing evidence that people are making relationship/marital decisions based on economic prospects. For example, women with bachelor's degrees, marriage rates stayed about the same for the past 40 years (~70% get married). For women without bachelor's degrees, that rate has been steadily declining. I saw this on Axios, and the reason they provided was that people are more likely to marry within their own education bracket, and that women without bachelor's degrees felt that their male counterparts had nothing financially to offer. In a world where living costs are increasingly unaffordable and wages are stagnant, it does seem like more people are pitted against choosing between love/money. And it is interesting to see tradwife ideals gain popularity while the number of men who have a salary high enough to support 2 people decline.
such a nice essay! i personally really liked materialists, though i found its ending underwhelming as well - despite her shortcomings, i think celine song has brought up interesting conversations on love and dating on this one (especially through differentiating the two things quite sharply, as you also pointed out!).
regarding the whole question (love and dating), i can't help but think that apps have done the most damage in terms of dynamics. it's such a tired take, but i'm always wondering if things wouldn't be at least a little better if we didn't have them, if people would be less particular and more open to connection without needing that instance reassurance of mutual attraction.
personally, I loved it but i was also coming at it from a not-attracted-to-men gender studies major perspective and to me it just felt so refreshingly honest!! I understand why the "evaluating yourself like a piece of meat" is a total ick to people but to me it just felt like someone finally being able to voice what sooo many women around me actually think about when it comes to matching themselves with a partner. As someone who comes from that white upper-class (not as insane as this movie but still) world I truly think a lot of women I know have gotten married for that pure value trade and being able to see it from Johnon's sorta burnt-out cynical matchmaker perspective was delicious (some perfect casting there imo).
my biggest thing I want to know is who is Song imagining as the audience here? Because I can see an argument for the film's bluntness as a way to look the people who think like this but also it being so blunt about it might be an immediate turn off. Reminds me of discussion about Yellowface where people complained about it being so heavy-handed but also it sometimes lowkey needed to be based on who was reading it.
By far my favorite scene was that first wedding when the bride admits that she just likes that her (soon to be) husband makes her sister jealous. purely distilling the value proposition happening here! (also just beautifully shot!)
I watched it with my friend who liked it but sorta thought that it just presented these issues with no real conclusion which i agree with and liked about it! I cannot tell you the number of gender studies classes I've been in where we've talked in circles and circles about marriage and the moral/ethical/value of it all and you never really end up anywhere at the end of the day because marriage is still gonna happen no matter what conclusion we come to in this little humanities class. Sometimes (and maybe this is really cynical of me!) I think all you can do is circle the issue a few times and make sure the people you love have also circled it and then go in knowing that it may feel a bit icky but at least we've had that honest conversation about why - which is exactly what Johnson and Evans characters did! Anyway, I loved it but understand why it didnt work for some people!
there's a mid movie twist in Materialists that ruined any goodwill I had left cause wtf; it's disgusting in the context of the romcoms it emulates in the first half & haphazard in the second half. this film has a major identity crisis, and it bleeds out into every nook and cranny of it.
Cold is exactly the right word. I felt nothing and I'm a hopeless romantic. Also it had a rom com set up but no com. And the height reveal. Lord have mercy.
While I did like this movie, it was definitely not as effecting to me compared to Past Lives which remains my fav.
I’m not much of a romance consumer in books or movies, so Celine incorporating the dialogue and harsh truths that I do think a lot of romance films miss I loved because while talking about money, rent, not affording the life you want etc often kills romance I found it refreshing to say that part many people navigate refreshing. Also love a New York setting.
But I do agree, now that I think more on it, it didn’t warm my heart as I would’ve liked and I do think this movie is marketed wrong. It’s NOT a romantic comedy at all. There’s funny scenes but it’s a drama (which I also don’t mind but I think it sets up a wrong expectation). Lastly, I heard a critic about Dakota as an actress being the leading lady and how she doesn’t have the range to lead a movie emotionally and I do think I kind of agree. She is a bit emotionally rigid and I think it left her character feeling not as dynamic which I think contributed to the cold feeling. I want to watch it again but I overall did like it! I also loved how it was shot.
Let’s be honest, take out a few details and I can recommend 20 Hallmark movies with this exact plot.
I saw a clip of Celine Song talking about Pride and Prejudice for the BBC anniversary of the miniseries and suddenly the movie The Materialists makes more sense to me. She says something like “P&P offers you the fantasy. What if the love of your life is also the solution to all of your economic problems?” Song is asking a similar question but in reverse. “What if the solution to all of your economic questions is NOT the love of your life but, boy, he sure does check a lot of boxes?” Perfect on paper but being with him doesn’t light you up. Do you marry him anyway knowing you’ll never love him as deeply and completely as you loved your ex? People on TikTok keep going on about the lack of character development and self improvement for John. But when you look at it from this perspective, John doesn’t really matter to the question that is being asked and the story that is being told here. He’s just a stand in for the ephemeral things she’s missing in her connection to Harry. Namely: chemistry. Giddiness. Butterflies. True physical attraction, which can’t be faked. I know we’re mostly “told” this rather than shown it, which is a storytelling no no. But if she’s still mooning after her ex after however many years apart, we can take it for granted that she really loved him, no? So the question becomes, what’s more important. Feelings or lifestyle. Obviously, irl the answer is both. You can’t eat feelings and you can’t emotionally sustain yourself for decades on money alone. You need some level of both love and money. How much of each will vary from person to person. But I appreciate a smart movie that at least asks the question and explores the issue on some depth.
I'm still trying to sort out my feelings on this movie a week later. Also, WILD that this was in part inspired by Celine Song's own experience as a matchmaker, which I fully cannot imagine.
Right? I feel like I need to know what other people think but it’s getting raves from all the trades and I’m like… did I just not get it? Or was it just not for me?
Saw it last night. I went in not knowing much but I was expecting a bit more comedy
I’d like to add that the trailer for this film (though likely a typical length for films of this era/genre) was absurdly long and I exited early. Based on this review I wonder if I’ll do that the same for the film itself 🥲
Have not yet watched the movie but I love all these ponderings on relationships and money. First - the idea that only the most beautiful deserve the "top men" - I would love to hear your thoughts on why this attitude is gaining so much traction. I think a big reason is that people are living a bigger portion of their lives online, where they mostly interact with people by looking at them rather than actually interacting with real people in real life. Second - there does seem to be growing evidence that people are making relationship/marital decisions based on economic prospects. For example, women with bachelor's degrees, marriage rates stayed about the same for the past 40 years (~70% get married). For women without bachelor's degrees, that rate has been steadily declining. I saw this on Axios, and the reason they provided was that people are more likely to marry within their own education bracket, and that women without bachelor's degrees felt that their male counterparts had nothing financially to offer. In a world where living costs are increasingly unaffordable and wages are stagnant, it does seem like more people are pitted against choosing between love/money. And it is interesting to see tradwife ideals gain popularity while the number of men who have a salary high enough to support 2 people decline.
such a nice essay! i personally really liked materialists, though i found its ending underwhelming as well - despite her shortcomings, i think celine song has brought up interesting conversations on love and dating on this one (especially through differentiating the two things quite sharply, as you also pointed out!).
regarding the whole question (love and dating), i can't help but think that apps have done the most damage in terms of dynamics. it's such a tired take, but i'm always wondering if things wouldn't be at least a little better if we didn't have them, if people would be less particular and more open to connection without needing that instance reassurance of mutual attraction.
loved to hear your thoughts on this!!!
personally, I loved it but i was also coming at it from a not-attracted-to-men gender studies major perspective and to me it just felt so refreshingly honest!! I understand why the "evaluating yourself like a piece of meat" is a total ick to people but to me it just felt like someone finally being able to voice what sooo many women around me actually think about when it comes to matching themselves with a partner. As someone who comes from that white upper-class (not as insane as this movie but still) world I truly think a lot of women I know have gotten married for that pure value trade and being able to see it from Johnon's sorta burnt-out cynical matchmaker perspective was delicious (some perfect casting there imo).
my biggest thing I want to know is who is Song imagining as the audience here? Because I can see an argument for the film's bluntness as a way to look the people who think like this but also it being so blunt about it might be an immediate turn off. Reminds me of discussion about Yellowface where people complained about it being so heavy-handed but also it sometimes lowkey needed to be based on who was reading it.
By far my favorite scene was that first wedding when the bride admits that she just likes that her (soon to be) husband makes her sister jealous. purely distilling the value proposition happening here! (also just beautifully shot!)
I watched it with my friend who liked it but sorta thought that it just presented these issues with no real conclusion which i agree with and liked about it! I cannot tell you the number of gender studies classes I've been in where we've talked in circles and circles about marriage and the moral/ethical/value of it all and you never really end up anywhere at the end of the day because marriage is still gonna happen no matter what conclusion we come to in this little humanities class. Sometimes (and maybe this is really cynical of me!) I think all you can do is circle the issue a few times and make sure the people you love have also circled it and then go in knowing that it may feel a bit icky but at least we've had that honest conversation about why - which is exactly what Johnson and Evans characters did! Anyway, I loved it but understand why it didnt work for some people!
there's a mid movie twist in Materialists that ruined any goodwill I had left cause wtf; it's disgusting in the context of the romcoms it emulates in the first half & haphazard in the second half. this film has a major identity crisis, and it bleeds out into every nook and cranny of it.
Cold is exactly the right word. I felt nothing and I'm a hopeless romantic. Also it had a rom com set up but no com. And the height reveal. Lord have mercy.
The way you and I walked out of the movie feeling so similar and probably walked out of Past lives feeling so similar >>>>>