10 chaotic thoughts about The Materialists
"Broke Man Propaganda"? "Dystopian view on dating"?
After months of trailers and a frankly brilliant press tour (if you haven’t seen it, prepare for cry-laughing), I saw The Materialists last Saturday at my local movie theatre with my mom and our friend Esmita.
Obviously before I go ahead: SPOILER ALERT.
Now I’ve seen a lot a lot of content online about this film and I think the only thing any of us agree on is that this movie left us thinking and discussing, deeply, about the topic of love, dating, relationships and life.
As someone a little obsessed with these topics myself, I loved it.
If I was the director Celine Song, I would take that as the biggest and only victory she needed from this film.
So without further ado, here is my list of 10 chaotic thoughts on The Materialists:
*In a totally non-chronological order, as if we’re two friends sitting across from each other and I’m spilling my unfiltered ideas about whatever comes out first!
I knew going into this movie that it wouldn’t be conventional, having seen the director Celine Song’s last movie “Past Lives” which was extremely nuanced and artistic.
It didn’t disappoint on this front. It’s definitely not a blockbuster rom-com, more akin to an art movie. I think the trailer makes the movie look shallower and more mainstream than it actually is, but maybe that’s a good thing because it lures in a wider range of people.
The other thing I find about art movies is that they’re not supposed to mimick our general morality about life. They’re not a classic “hero vs villain”, black-and-white story.
This is why I think the movie was so successful at sparking thought and conversation.
If I wasn’t siting in a theatre, I would have literally screamed at the kitchen scene where Lucy finds out about Harry having the $200K surgery that breaks your legs in order to grow taller.
I felt physically nauseous and I think it’s supposed to evoke that. But it was a shockingly powerful scene, especially the moment where he shrinks down to show her how tall he was before the surgery.
I discussed with my mom afterwards about how height is such a factor for men. But also how American - Western centric that concept is considering there are countless other ethnicities (including ours as Greeks) where men are generally shorter and it does not impact them in the same way. Love, dating, life, is just normal for them.
Of course, we can’t discount globalisation and how comparison and media can breed insecurity and “small man syndrome” where it didn’t once exist.
Either way, I thought about this scene for days afterwards.
The movie is literally called The Materialists, so the topic of money and relationships obviously came into the picture.
Some people online have been calling this film “Broke Man Propaganda”, which is hilarious, but also I think it’s a lot more nuanced than that.
The film makes a very big point about choosing love and happiness as the ultimate motivation for marriage. Finding someone who chooses you. Who you can lean on.
And yet, I found myself agreeing with the fact that a financially anxious man who can’t provide for himself and the women he wants to be with will sabotage and undermine their relationship. His own anxieties and survival mode will inevitably bleed into the dynamic and it will affect his generousity, love, and behaviour.
So to me it’s not so simple as “follow your bliss”. The movie does end by suggesting that Chris’s character John was going to step up for himself and her, take on extra work, get over his own ego and pursue more commercial acting, and generally try stop being a victim to his circumstances. The dialogue flew by so quickly, but it felt like immense character growth. While simultaneously, Lucy is likely to become the CEO of the matchmaking company and become a major breadwinner, althought it isn’t finalised. Even she says: “What else am I going to do?” Maybe she will bring about changes to how they do matchmaking. That was my hope, at least.
This to me is not the same as her accepting the old situation they were both in. John’s apartment with his roomates was the stuff of nightmares and should burnt to the ground. No self-respecting woman should enter that space unless she’s being held at gunpoint.
So I think it’s shallow to suggest that “love is all you need”, because to make a relationship or a marriage work, you need more than that. You need a shared vision and path for the future and that includes financials. Money isn’t evil, it’s simply a reality and between two compatable people in love, it can be a powerful tool to co-create a life and legacy together.
I think the film did its best to find the balance by the end, while still leaving things a little unfinished and giving us food for thought.
With that said, I do still kind of hate the trope of the woman who goes back to the ex “she never got over”.
Unless there is massive character growth from the ex, it’s just not a trope I like since I think it’s used so often in stories to justify relationships that aren’t ultimately compatable or healthy, but screw it because “I’m still in love with you.”
If there’s anything I’ve learnt, it’s that love and chemistry is not always enough and it should never used to justify a bad relationship.
This goes beyond the movie, but it could have been interesting if both of her love interests were brand new or John had only been a friend before.
Lucy sabotaged the relationship with Harry from the beginning by not truly opening up to him emotionally, in particular about her client who was assualted.
Instead of confiding in her literal boyfriend, she called her ex, John. By not being open with Harry, she took the option away from him to support her and grow that emotional connection. Maybe Lucy was afraid of her company’s reputation and breaking confidentiality. Maybe her connection with Harry still wouldn’t have developed and they would have broken up just the same.
But by not showing her vulnerability, by not going there with Harry and giving him that chance, the relationships was doomed from the start.
“I promise you’re going to marry the love of your life.”
“I don’t believe it.”
“You don’t have to believe it. I believe it.”
- Loved this line from Dakota Johnson’s character, Lucy.
I hated that they had characters smoking in certain scenes. I know it’s realistic and this is an “art movie”, but I just disagree with smoking being depicted in a major film.
You can disagree with me but I think people are highly impressionable to media and smoking should not be depicted, even neutrally, as much as possible in film.
The scene where she finds out about the assault on her client - and there’s a celebration going on in the background - is just insanely well done.
The dissonance between the foreground and background of the scene was incredible. #filmanalysis
I found myself naturally shocked by the clinical, amoral approach and motivations behind dating and marriage that are portrayed.
Like the bride right at the start of the movie marrying a man because it made her sister jealous. How she saw marriage as a power play.
I would love to say this doesn’t exist, but I’ve witnessed myself how mrriage and weddings can become a way to fill a hole in a person’s self-esteem, to heal their traumas and feelings of invisibility.
I think that’s what makes this movie so disturbing on some levels, because these dynamics and motivations and thoughts are all real. To see it so clearly confronts us, shocks us.
Our friend called the movie a “Dystopian view on dating" and I thought it was a brilliant way to describe it.
I couldn’t help but laugh in horror at the scene where Lucy and her colleague are discussing one of their clients Sophie as a “commodity” in the “market”. How they discussed dating and marriage so coldy as a business deal, with people having Unique Selling Propositions.
That’s what made Sophie’s monologue after she’s assaulted so powerful, because she demands in full feminine rage to be seen as a person, not a product. And it shatters Lucy’s character to have her world view and approach to life and matchmaking spotlighted in this way, to see how horrible it really was.
…
Ultimately, I don’t think the point of films like this are to give us answers and depict exactly how we’re supposed to live our lives. I do think they intended to prod at our values, our choices, our thoughts, about love and marriage. I do think we’re supposed to question where we stand, where our friends and family stand, where society stands.
And ultimately, hopefully, take a step in a better direction for ourselves and all.
What did you think of the film? Let me know your chaotic thoughts in the comments!
Ciao,
Anthea