Materialism
A few words about 'Materialists'
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Sitting around, gabbing about money. There are few more common passtimes. It makes the world go around, after all. Every single scene in Celine Song’s new film, Materialists, is about money. Characters talk about it directly, they talk about it philosphically, they talk about its effects, about having it and not, about their lives as shaped by it. They talk about little else. Even when they’re not literally talking about money, they’re talking about money. Where Past Lives was about the appeal of roads not taken, Materialists is about the thing that so often creates those forks. (Money.)
The clever trick of Materialists is its packaging. Comparisons to James L. Brooks, Nora Ephron, and Nancy Meyers abound, and are apt to a degree. It stars Dakota Johnson as Lucy, a professional matchmaker, providing services to the wealthy in glamorous New York settings. Not one to romanticize love—or anything at all—Lucy finds herself torn between two men and two paths. Pedro Pascal is Henry, the scion of a rich family, charming as hell and monied. The perfect man. A “unicorn,” as Lucy says. Chris Evans is John, in his late thirties and still a struggling actor living in a shared apartment that looks days away from condemnation, with even worse roommates. He is also Lucy’s ex. Both men appear at the wedding of a client, Henry’s brother. The rich best man, and the caterer. There it is, a classic love triangle. Except that Materialists isn’t about love. Not really. It’s about money.
At some point in the film, it’s revealed that despite her high-class appearance, Lucy grew up with little money, and even now only makes about $80,000 per year at a job servicing millionaires and billionaires. Not a bad salary, but this is New York. When it comes to relationships, she’s mostly sworn off dating, having convinced herself she’ll only get involved with someone if she knows there’s a future with them, and that future depends on money. Marrying fabulously rish, perhaps, but what she really needs is the stability. We come to understand later that she and John broke up because they were broke, which put a constant stress on their relationship. Lucy wants to be able to enjoy the finer things in life, at least sometimes, like going to a fancy restaurant for their anniversary without worry. In Henry she finds someone who can take her to fancy restaurants any time, no special occasion necessary, like it’s nothing. His multi-million dollar apartment is a nice bonus.