Celine Song reveals true meaning behind new movie, ‘Materialists’
Celine Song has revealed that there is a hidden message behind her latest film Materialists, as having greater depth than its initial romantic comedy perception.
The director was speaking in a recent interview with Dazed when she began to discuss the intricate layers of the movie. It stars Dakota Johnson as a torn matchmaker, stuck between her perfect man and tough ex-boyfriend, played by Chris Evans and Pedro Pascal, respectively.
Song responded to questions surrounding the film’s genre by saying: “Well, I think it is a rom-com in that it’s a modern romance. I’m sure you laughed sometimes?” before adding, “You laughed and felt things! That’s what categorises a romantic comedy. What the movie isn’t, is escapist. It’s a pretty direct conversation about how hard it is to find love.”
To this end, Song also revealed that the movie holds a commentary on capitalism in society above all its other elements. “The rom-com genre is marketed to women, but this deeply capitalistic way of dating that we all have to participate in – it crushes men as well,” she said.
Song added: “The world of romance is seen as something that’s for women, but men have to be on the market as well,” subsequently noting the often extreme cosmetic procedures that men can undergo in order to make themselves appear as more conventionally attractive.
However, much like her matchmaker lead character Lucy (Johnson), Song also spent time working as a matchmaker when she was a playwright, which duly inspired the film years later. “I learned about my materialist impulses when I worked as a matchmaker,” she said. “A matchmaker is like a stockbroker, but instead of stock, it’s a human being.”
Materialists is out now in the US, and will be released in the UK on August 15th.
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