"Also, Americans are too hung up on plot…can we not just enjoy the music and images and vibes onscreen??"
A dear friend of mine (also a Molehill reader) was raised by a film prof and CONSTANTLY discusses the value of appreciating film, or art, or anything else, for the aesthetics alone so I gasped when I read that line!! I haven't even finished reading your essay yet but I'm very excited to.
I saw this movie with a group of 10 women and queer folks and we all hated it. From Dakota Johnson's one-note, monotone performance and her character's self-loathing blandness, to the whitewashing of Pedro Pascale and the marketing of this film as a romcom when it felt like neither com nor rom and certainly not the sexy romp marketing promised, every one of us was deeply disappointed. The pacing and editing were terrible. Sophie's acting was truly a bright spot despite the darkness of her storyline which, while an important story to tell, seemed out of place in this movie. Dakota Johnson keeps getting cast as a romantic lead because of her beauty, but she never pulls of the necessary chemistry. She was great on SNL and I'd love to see her in a screwball comedy. Chris Evans was good, as always, and I genuinely liked his character although equating the slovenliness of his apartment with his income seemed classist; one can be poor and clean, he just had sloppy, inconsiderate roommates. I'll end my rant by saying we were all really there to see some hot hot Pedro Pascale action and they somehow managed to make even our perfect man into a boring, bland, sexless guy. What a waste.
I also really liked The Materialists and don’t quite get the hate. A) it’s hilarious (the whole theater was laughing as was my bf), B) odd to think Celine Song would go from Past Lives to a throw back romcom, plus the movie is billed as a drama!
I’m still thinking through the discourse on Sophie - who by the way gives the standout out performance in like a total of 10 minutes on screen. But I never got the feeling that the plotting served to “humble her” into lowering her standards. I understood it as Dakota Johnson realizing that dating has greater stakes than checking boxes and fraudulent heights. Anyway still thinking through!
I used to read them religiously at work while trying to look busy lol
I would read more fictional money diaries from your favorite characters!! I loved it. I probably won’t get around to seeing Materialists unless it’s a plane offering on a long flight because I’m terrible at watching movies but I will choose it if it’s available hehe
I thought materialist was very meh. I found the discussion on class so stale! It was not from a working class perspective at all, and the characters felt so rushed. It was entertaining and pretty but lacked substance. I left the theater enamored with Dakota Johnson acting abilities tho!
I loved The Materialists! As a Virgo sun, Capricorn moon, Leo venus girlie, I totally get it. I like how the story was well fleshed out and not lazy in its development and resolution. I saw some tweets saying that it was broke boy propaganda but I think it’s more along the lines of lover boy propaganda lol. Gorgeous film! Waiting for another Celine Song love triangle film shot in New York on film to daydream about 🥰
i think the "broke boy propaganda" reaction is just very loud/it's meme-able and catches attention on social media, but yeah to me it was more about the mysterious thing that makes two people a good match :)
I had the same thought watching the movie!! Seeing her clothes and also her ability to live alone in a gorgeous NYC apartment with French doors and a balcony, I was SHOCKED that she said she only made $80,000. RTR makes sense for her tho - considering her line of work I’m sure she has to project wealth for her clients to take her seriously
💯like I would believe 80 base + significant bonus for engagements/weddings. Conceivably John could even be making close to 80 working high end events if he worked often
I could not get past the scene where John insisted on driving in Manhattan. Sorry, you didn’t dump him bc he was broke, you dumped him bc he refuses to accept that the world doesn’t work he wishes it did—which is a great reason to dump someone! I wish Lucy liked herself more. I will not accept Transplant Jalopy Boy propaganda (at least when they’re musicians they have the excuse of needing to haul large objects)
I’m sorry, this movie was so bad, Dakota is such a bland actress and nothing about the plot made sense. I really wanted to like it but nothing was memorable. Such a weird focus on getting into a relationship and zero storyline about friendship. I guess it wasn’t about that and maybe that’s part of the satire, but it didn’t come across that way. It was honestly really boring.
Went to watch this with friends. To quote 10 Things I Hate About You, we were not overwhelmed or underwhelmed, just whelmed - which you can be in Europe.
"Also, Americans are too hung up on plot…can we not just enjoy the music and images and vibes onscreen??"
A dear friend of mine (also a Molehill reader) was raised by a film prof and CONSTANTLY discusses the value of appreciating film, or art, or anything else, for the aesthetics alone so I gasped when I read that line!! I haven't even finished reading your essay yet but I'm very excited to.
right! i just enjoyed the escapist romantic feel of new york in the film, the rich wedding, the barn wedding, etc. :)
I saw this movie with a group of 10 women and queer folks and we all hated it. From Dakota Johnson's one-note, monotone performance and her character's self-loathing blandness, to the whitewashing of Pedro Pascale and the marketing of this film as a romcom when it felt like neither com nor rom and certainly not the sexy romp marketing promised, every one of us was deeply disappointed. The pacing and editing were terrible. Sophie's acting was truly a bright spot despite the darkness of her storyline which, while an important story to tell, seemed out of place in this movie. Dakota Johnson keeps getting cast as a romantic lead because of her beauty, but she never pulls of the necessary chemistry. She was great on SNL and I'd love to see her in a screwball comedy. Chris Evans was good, as always, and I genuinely liked his character although equating the slovenliness of his apartment with his income seemed classist; one can be poor and clean, he just had sloppy, inconsiderate roommates. I'll end my rant by saying we were all really there to see some hot hot Pedro Pascale action and they somehow managed to make even our perfect man into a boring, bland, sexless guy. What a waste.
100% agree
I also really liked The Materialists and don’t quite get the hate. A) it’s hilarious (the whole theater was laughing as was my bf), B) odd to think Celine Song would go from Past Lives to a throw back romcom, plus the movie is billed as a drama!
I’m still thinking through the discourse on Sophie - who by the way gives the standout out performance in like a total of 10 minutes on screen. But I never got the feeling that the plotting served to “humble her” into lowering her standards. I understood it as Dakota Johnson realizing that dating has greater stakes than checking boxes and fraudulent heights. Anyway still thinking through!
MONEY DIARIES what a throwback!!!!
I used to read them religiously at work while trying to look busy lol
I would read more fictional money diaries from your favorite characters!! I loved it. I probably won’t get around to seeing Materialists unless it’s a plane offering on a long flight because I’m terrible at watching movies but I will choose it if it’s available hehe
I thought materialist was very meh. I found the discussion on class so stale! It was not from a working class perspective at all, and the characters felt so rushed. It was entertaining and pretty but lacked substance. I left the theater enamored with Dakota Johnson acting abilities tho!
as someone who also obsessed over those money diaries, i love this connection!
thank you! peak era money diaries was sooo fascinating
I loved The Materialists! As a Virgo sun, Capricorn moon, Leo venus girlie, I totally get it. I like how the story was well fleshed out and not lazy in its development and resolution. I saw some tweets saying that it was broke boy propaganda but I think it’s more along the lines of lover boy propaganda lol. Gorgeous film! Waiting for another Celine Song love triangle film shot in New York on film to daydream about 🥰
i think the "broke boy propaganda" reaction is just very loud/it's meme-able and catches attention on social media, but yeah to me it was more about the mysterious thing that makes two people a good match :)
I had the same thought watching the movie!! Seeing her clothes and also her ability to live alone in a gorgeous NYC apartment with French doors and a balcony, I was SHOCKED that she said she only made $80,000. RTR makes sense for her tho - considering her line of work I’m sure she has to project wealth for her clients to take her seriously
absolutely. it seems like ADORE would pay better, or at least give some kind of commission structure. the math doesn't add uppppp
💯like I would believe 80 base + significant bonus for engagements/weddings. Conceivably John could even be making close to 80 working high end events if he worked often
I could not get past the scene where John insisted on driving in Manhattan. Sorry, you didn’t dump him bc he was broke, you dumped him bc he refuses to accept that the world doesn’t work he wishes it did—which is a great reason to dump someone! I wish Lucy liked herself more. I will not accept Transplant Jalopy Boy propaganda (at least when they’re musicians they have the excuse of needing to haul large objects)
I’m sorry, this movie was so bad, Dakota is such a bland actress and nothing about the plot made sense. I really wanted to like it but nothing was memorable. Such a weird focus on getting into a relationship and zero storyline about friendship. I guess it wasn’t about that and maybe that’s part of the satire, but it didn’t come across that way. It was honestly really boring.
It was so, so sad that none of those women had any FRIENDS.
No it was so bizarre
Is this a hollywood version of Cupid Parasite?? Just kidding - but also I would totally watch a film version of CP with fabulous y2k fits.
Went to watch this with friends. To quote 10 Things I Hate About You, we were not overwhelmed or underwhelmed, just whelmed - which you can be in Europe.