Materialists

romcoms are back, but it doesn't mean they're any good

Materialists

I will admit, my expectations for this film were extremely low. Not because I dislike Song’s work, in fact, Past Lives was a 2023 favourite of mine. But because my expectations for any modern romcom will always be low. I find recent romance films tend to put too much energy into trying to analyse the dating scene. Making for a shallow theory on love that I’ve read better substack posts on, and unfortunately, Materialists falls victim to this.

Set in New York, the film follows Lucy (Dakota Johnson), a matchmaker for the ultra-rich and ultra-desperate singles in the big city. But whilst dealing with the love lives of her clients, Lucy goes on her own journey of finding out what it means to be in a relationship and ultimately what it means to love—with the help of two attractive suitors of course.

On a technical level, the film is very pleasing to watch. While there aren’t any standout scenes like the steps in Past Lives, it is colourful and sweet and just has that romcom energy we’re all familiar with. The soundtrack is decent, and with a delightful closing song by Japanese Breakfast, the film concludes in a very romantic and almost whimsical way, which I loved. However, I found the main romance plot lacked that magical feeling. The chemistry was somewhat there, with Chris Evans doing the heavy lifting, and the final scene between Dakota and her chosen man (I’m sure you can guess who) was very cute and maybe made the snooze of a journey we had to take to get there a little worth it. But it still felt off.

My main gripe with the film is the dialogue. Every conversation was about how much value each of them held and if they were worthy to be in each other’s presence. But it didn’t feel like they were talking to each other; instead, it felt like they were lecturing the audience. It's all therapy-talk. Just straight to the point and a little condescending. Have more faith in your audience, you don’t need to spell out “rich=good, poor=bad” like we’re five. Most scenes felt like they were made to be screenshotted and shared with the caption “she’s so me”. Every date felt scripted, and I was left thinking what does she actually have in common with these men? Dakota’s character arc was also incredibly anticlimactic. The “I only want a rich man and I hate myself for thinking like that” got very tiresome very quickly. And the attempt to discuss how class and dating intersect was about as deep as a puddle. Plus, Chris Evans with his pearly white veneers doesn't quite scream poor, so the prince vs pauper dilemma was not that convincing.

My standout of the film was by far Zoë Winters who plays Sophie, a client of Lucy’s who is struggling to find her match. What came with her character was a “subplot” that, in my opinion, was not given the focus it deserved. I used quotation marks because while it is a subplot (a strand of the main plot that supports the main story), Celine in the Q&A afterwards mentioned she believed it was the main plot. And while I do understand why she would say that, because it does act as the catalyst for Lucy’s arc, something of that nature deserved a little more respect.

I do want to get into the details, and although I’m sure most of you have already seen/heard what happens, those who have not SPOILER WARNING YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

Sophie goes on what we initially think is a pretty successful date, but we soon find out she was sexually assaulted by the man Lucy set her up with. This news comes at a total shock for Lucy and the audience, making for a drastic tonal shift in the movie. I think if this was any other film, the sudden “plot twist” would fit because sexual assault can be sudden and unexpected in real life. However, for a self proclaimed romcom, it felt completely out of place. For the rest of the film, I felt the assault linger in my mind, and when we did get a somewhat resolution to Sophie’s character, it was slumped in the middle of the love confession between Lucy and John, which again just felt completely out of place. A storyline like that deserves its own arc. I don’t understand why Song would use that as the wake up call for Lucy to realise love is more than what material items a partner can offer you. It just doesn’t correlate.

Spoilers over.

Despite seemingly hating everything about this film, I did still have a good time watching it. But I think being in a full theatre with people that I would assume enjoyed it more than me definitely helped. It’s not a bad film in the slightest, but it feels overstuffed and somehow very simple. I think if it committed to being a romcom, it would have worked a lot better. But with it leaning more towards being a romdram, I think the writing needed more depth and maybe even a different main cast. Still, I can see what Song wanted to achieve, and for a certain group of people she will have succeeded. But for me, it all just felt a little ridiculous.

Before watching Materialists, I had some time to kill so decided to watch a film. It happened to be another romcom which, looking back, may have set my standards too high for the evening. Here’s a quick review of Jane Austen Wrecked My Life.

Jane Austen Wrecked My Life

Some might say the world doesn't need any more Jane Austen-inspired films (me, I’m some), but this witty French romcom intrigued me. Written and directed by Laura Piani, this film acts more as a love letter to Austen and writing in general than the modernised adaptations we’re used to. Don't get me wrong; it's not an entirely original story, but despite the cliches and predictable plot, it still makes for a swoon-worthy experience.

Agathe, played by Camille Rutherford, is a thirty-something bookstore worker living in Paris with her sister and young nephew. Agathe’s dream is to be a writer, so when her best friend—who might be something more—secretly submits her work to a Jane Austen writing residency in the English countryside, she reluctantly agrees to cross the Channel. There she finds Austen’s young descendant, Oliver, a grumpy literature professor who coincidentally is helping out his parents run the residency that year. We know how this plays out, a love triangle between the best friend of 10 years and the dashing Hugh Grant type English man. But just like every romcom, she must overcome the hurdle of self-discovery before making the correct choice.

This film pleasantly surprised me; the acting is great with Agathe having believable chemistry with both love interests, and the comedy is dry but in a Bridget Jones’ Diary type of way. What stood out to me was the cinematography which gaves it that period drama feel without actually being set in the 1800s. Overall, a very sweet and charming film that highlights the struggles of love and writing in a relatable and enjoyable way.

Thank you for reading, and please let me know what you think of the two films!!