Materialists starts on a bizarre note. You’ll feel as if you have entered the wrong audi and are accidentally watching some other film! But soon, the film gets on track. This is a talk-heavy film and the dialogues take the conversation forward. A few one-liners are too practical and it works for a film named Materialists. This is also a rare Hollywood film that is more relatable to Indians than Westerners as it deals with matchmaking. On the flipside, some dialogues seem a bit unintentionally funny. Director Celine Song uses film festival-type treatment. In some places, it works and it’s interesting to see long takes with no BGM. But few scenes become dry due to this filmmaking technique. The finale is simplistic. Dakota Johnson rocks the show and rises successfully after the Madame Web debacle. Chris Evans and Pedro Pascal look very dashing and as expected, deliver great performances. Marin Ireland (Violet) and Zoรซ Winters (Sophie) leave a huge mark. All in all, Materialists is worth watching for the subject and performances. Make sure you book your tickets in advance as it has limited shows while the demand is immense.
My rating – *** out of 5!