Tag: a24

We promise them love, but the math doesn’t add up. “Materialists” (2025)

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directed by Celine Song
© 2025 A24. All Rights Reserved.

Him? Over 180 cm tall, handsome, muscular, dark hair, very good salary. Her? Maximum 165 cm tall, gorgeous, fit, long hair, definitely before her 30s. Sounds like the expectations towards your partner? Or maybe it sounds nothing like that? Either way, you should watch this film. We get to meet Lucy (Dakota Johnson), a professional matchmaker, thanks to whom 9 couples have already got married. Even though she’s great at matching other people, she stays single, until she marries someone wealthy. And then, Harry Castillo (Pedro Pascal) appears. A very good-looking, charming financier, who asks Lucy to help him find a match. However, it’s just a way to get closer to the matchmaker, because he’s actually very interested in her. In the meantime, Lucy bumps into her ex boyfriend, John (Chris Evans). They used to be a pretty sweet couple, but the main problem was money. John is an artist, taking up random jobs to survive, so he couldn’t satisfy Lucy’s needs to live more fancy. Now, Lucy has a chance to date a man of her dreams, but it seems like the relation with John still cannot be forgotten. Generally, it’s a modern version of a common love story – should the protagonist choose the rich or the poor? Is it surprising? Not really, but this film is a prefect analysis of what dating is all about nowadays. You see, Lucy gets annoyed that at some point her clients have very shallow expectations and they seriously look for their imaginary perfect partner. On the one hand, they pay Lucy for that, so I kind of understand. On the other, we really don’t like to think about the future, do we? I mean, sure, a good looking partner is a blast, but it’s not their height, weight or bank account that will support you in a difficult moment. Personally, I cannot imagine dating someone who is just visually attractive, even though I’d surely appreciate their looks. What if they get me an expensive gift? That’s very nice of them, but will they make me laugh or listen to me when I’m feeling blue? And I mean LISTEN to me. Buuuut, being financially stable is also incredibly important, so I’m not going to judge people for choosing the wealthy partner. Personally, I’ve dated people who weren’t Bill Gates, but I appreciated them for other features. However, if I see the other person doesn’t mind living a basic life with almost no savings, then it becomes quite disturbing. Because I don’t care we don’t have a private plane and we don’t spend holidays in Maldives, but I want my partner to be able to pay for my dinner and take me to the cinema without feeling guilty they won’t have money for their bills. And I have to admit that I’ve felt such way several times and that is why financial stability is crucial to me. I wouldn’t call it being materialistic – it’s pure responsibility about both sides. So if you’re searching for a partner, don’t get rid of your standards, but also make sure they are reasonable. And then, hopefully, you’ll find the one. Wish you that, dear reader.

My rating: 6/10
S.

I’m guilty of looking ahead instead of right in front of me. “We Live in Time” (2024)

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directed by John Crowley
© 2024 A24. All Rights Reserved.

Is this film anything new? Nope. Is the story unpredictable? Nope. Do I recommend it? Yes, without a doubt. Generally, I like to be surprised by filmmakers, so they could show me something I wouldn’t come up with myself. However, maybe sometimes we need a basic story to remind us that feeding fictional images in our head does no good to us. This time we get to know Alma and Tobias (Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield). She’s a former ice-skater who is now working as a chef in a fancy restaurant and he works for a breakfast cereal company and is about to get divorced with his wife. The screenwriter had fun creating those two, I’m telling you. Anyway, they don’t meet in a romantic scene with snow falling and emotional music playing – instead, Alma runs Tobias over with her car. Love at first hit, I guess? They have their first “date” at a hospital, but as you can imagine, it’s not their last one. Those two have some specific chemistry between each other, even though they come from two different worlds. Unfortunately, at some point in their relationship Alma gets diagnosed with cancer and it’s the beginning of her goodbye story. Suddenly, a woman who was always thinking of her next steps and analysing possible scenarios gets one written and impossible to avoid. So instead of the future, the couple have to focus on the present. Just like I said at the beginning – there’s nothing new about this screenplay, because we’ve seen hundreds of such. Still, I enjoyed watching it because it was nicely made. The atmosphere was soothing, the actors (not only their characters) were compatible with each other, and I had a chance to reflect on life given a different perspective. I mean, I see myself in Alma who constantly thinks ahead and does everything to achieve the most, while I forget to slow down and take care of the present me. Don’t get me wrong, planning your future is a great thing to do, but at the same time let’s not forget to enjoy what’s happening now. I was talking to my friend about this film and we reached a conclusion that the story of Alma and Tobias is reminding us that “normal” life can be beautiful and pleasant as well. That having a cup of tea with your beloved ones is a moment you might remember even more than getting a promotion at work or winning some trophy. Besides, the future is never certain, but the present is here and couldn’t be more real. Get yourself that tea and take a deep breath. You might need that.

My rating: 7/10
S.