The Marketplace of Dating: A New Love Story
Before becoming an Oscar-nominated filmmaker, Celine Song was a New York playwright juggling day jobs just to pay rent. One of those jobs was working as a professional matchmaker, a role that began as a simple way to survive but grew into a profound exploration of human desires and the true nature of the heart.
Song reflected on this experience, saying, “I always wanted to write something about it because there seemed to be a story in it that is massive and very epic in proportion. It affects every human being on Earth.” This insight became the foundation for her latest film, “Materialists,” a contemporary New York love story starring Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal, and Chris Evans, hitting theaters this weekend.
A Love Story Beyond Choices
Johnson’s character, Lucy, is a matchmaker caught between two men: a struggling actor and ex-boyfriend, and a wealthy “unicorn.” While the internet buzzes over which man is the “right” choice, “Materialists” dives deeper than a simple love triangle. It challenges viewers to understand the emotional and spiritual complexities behind dating in today’s world.
Song and Johnson recently shared their thoughts on the film, love, and the modern marketplace of dating with sources. Their conversation reveals how personal and universal this story truly is.
Meeting and Connection Behind the Scenes
Song recalled their first meeting: “We met up thinking that we were just going to get to know each other and be friends. But I walked away from that conversation — this is just from my perspective — and I think I was still sitting there when I texted my producers and the studio saying, ‘I think I’ve found my Lucy.’ That’s how casting works for me, it’s always about falling in love.”
Johnson added, “I knew you had this movie that you were about to start making. I was basically told it was too late. But I really wanted to meet her because she’s so smart, and I’ve seen interviews and obviously had seen ‘Past Lives.’ I just wanted to talk and get to know her as an artist and a person.” She described their early conversations as unexpectedly romantic, long before she knew she was a top choice for the role.
Who Is Lucy?
Johnson described Lucy as a woman at the peak of her career, yet emotionally distant. “She’s very disconnected from her heart and focused on being a perfectionist and getting people to get married. On the surface, you see her as transactional, not really invested in people’s souls. But she actually is and really does want the best for them.”
Lucy’s personal journey wrestles with the question: do you fight for what you think you want or for what you truly need? Song affirmed this insight, highlighting the film’s emotional depth.
Exploring the Marketplace of Dating
The two men in Lucy’s life symbolize more than just romantic options. Song explained, “It was never about choosing a type of person. It’s about this marketplace of dating that all of us live in if you’re single, and also the marketplace that Dakota’s character is navigating.”
Pedro Pascal’s character represents someone of the highest value in traditional dating terms, while Chris Evans’ character falls at the opposite end. Yet, both men possess qualities worthy of admiration beyond material worth.
Lucy understands the “stock market” of dating values, but the film reveals how this cold calculation can ultimately unravel.
Johnson reflected on the complexity of describing love as a marketplace. “I glitch at those words because you can’t explain love that way, but that’s actually how people are. Marriage used to be a business deal — trading cows for wheat. Now, we expect partners to fulfill every need. Social media dominates, and people rarely meet naturally anymore.”
She emphasized the emotional and spiritual contrasts between the two men and how Lucy’s experience forces her to look inward, questioning what truly matters: wealth or genuine love.
Song summarized the film’s core tension: “It’s about the contradiction between what we say we want in a partner and how we actually fall in love. The gap between those two is terrifyingly big. To me, that’s where the mystery of the film is.”
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