Materialists: Movie Review

Cast: Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal, Chris Evans
Director: Celine Song

Writer / director Celine Song's latest may have garnered a career best from an empathetic Dakota Johnson, a matchmaker who finds herself at sea, but its commitment to dialogue that feels of the page rather than the real world does much to destroy its intentions.

Sumptuously shot, the story finds Lucy professionally cruising on a high, but personally facing a disaster as she negotiates singleton life.

But her life is upended when she meets the suave Harry (Pascal in a stoic and earnest performance) and despite her protestations that he's not the one for her,she's won over by the financial accoutrements he offers her - from fancy meals dismissed with the flick of a pen to his multimillion dollar penthouse, Lucy has transactional access to the world she always wanted.

But things fall apart when she reencounters her ex John (Evans, grounded), a struggling bit part theatre actor who may have lost the one true love of his life on their fifth anniversary. 

And the situation gets worse for Lucy when a work issue causes her self doubt to kick in.

Ironically, Materialists may have worked better as a play, one where internal monologues were given effective voice,because on the big screen, the overly verbose language just feels stilted. Talk of transactions in relationships, business deals for matters of the heart just don't feel organic and real to land any emotional heft.

Plus, adding in a subplot about sexual assault that feels more like a dramatic crutch rather than a fully realised element makes the film tonally ajar.

It's little helped by the fact there's zero chemistry between Pascal and Johnson (though one wonders if that's a deliberate construct) this sophomore outing from the Past Lives director feels like it's not everything it could be.

While she deserves plaudits for sidestepping the traditional romcom tropes, perhaps Materialists doesn't quite hit what it wants to be. It lacks the subtle richness of Past Lives and while it's Johnson at the best she's been in a long time, it feels like the substance element has been dialled up too high for any lasting effect.