Materialists

this is going to be a pretty long one. all the negative feedback i’ve seen this movie receive, primarily from women who dislike john’s characterization and lucy falling for “broke boy propaganda”, proves celine song’s point that modern dating has become too materialistic and superficial, causing people to forget that all that matters is genuine emotional connection. harry’s character was incapable of building an emotional relationship with lucy. he outright tells her he finds the notion of love childish, and has become so insecure from how different women treated him before/after his surgery that hes outright confused as to how all the superficial value he brings to the relationship isn’t enough to keep lucy. she is visibly upset after finding out about sophie’s SA the night of john’s play but harry is oblivious to all of this. the interaction between him and lucy i dislike the most is the scene where lucy gets the apartment keys. no exchanging of words, no kiss goodbye, and a half eaten breakfast on the table of an unfamiliar apartment. i also have not seen anyone mention that the next scene where we see lucy and harry talk for more than a couple of lines after they start their relationship and sleep together is THEIR BREAKUP. no substance, no comfort, and imo that ring was ugly bbsffrrn😭. there was no love here, and i swear media literacy is gone with the wind because lucy literally used the same line that (her client that got married at the start) gave her about only going through with it because he made her feel valuable, not LOVED. harry’s beliefs gives us no optimism that he will ever attempt to build a genuine connection with lucy. john’s love for lucy was the most vulnerable i’ve seen in a romance film in a while. his insecurities about his financial situation makes him human, more than ever before with whats going on in the world right now. he shouldn’t have let it control his relationship with lucy the way he did, but i accepted his flaws as much as i did harry’s. his dialogue later in the movie mirrors exactly what sophie said when lucy visited her, you just need someone to love, and someone that loves you back. also, the wrinkles and grey hair line hit so hard for me ts was beautiful. yes, hes still a struggling actor without a career, but his love gives lucy, and to the audience, that there is hope he will get over his own flaws and grow as a person for their relationship. i don’t want to yap much about lucy but i hope yall know that lucy said she too was a failed actor, meaning she was projecting her own insecurities about being broke onto john as much as he was. sophie was my favorite. the SA arc felt a tad shoehorned in to help lucy come around to love over materialism, but the actress gave it her all i loved every second she was on screen.