Mini-Reviews: Elio & Materialists
Elio
Score: B
Directed by Sharafian, Shi, & Molina
Starring Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Remy Edgerly, et al
Running time: 98 minutes
Rated PG
Elio is Pixar’s latest movie, an original that is entertaining but doesn’t live up to the studio’s high standards. The movie centers on an orphaned boy who wishes to be literally abducted by aliens and take him away from the world where he feels like a stranger - when a benevolent group of extraterrestrials complies. Not all is well, however, as a warring alien race threatens to destroy Elio’s abductors, but the adventure turns unexpectedly when Elio befriends the heir of the warring aliens’ leader. Elio premise is certainly creative, in the Pixar tradition, and it also focuses on two of the studio’s key themes: a genuine exploration of a real life situation (alienation of orphaned children) via the surreal (ACTUAL aliens), and how friendships can form despite significant individual differences and powerfully affect big events. Despite all of this, I just didn’t feel as transported or impressed as I typically do by Pixar movies. It’s hard to give examples of exactly why, but I just often felt like it was somewhat rote, hitting the expected cues for a Pixar movie. Maybe it’s that a lot of the creative choices were made because it made sense for the plot (and, again, Pixar tone) rather than a single, unified vision. On that last part, note that there are three directors credited for the movie (who also came up with the story), and three other screenplay writers. Elio is perfectly fine, there are no glaring problems (to me) - it just doesn’t add up to Pixar’s usual magic.
Materialists
Score: A-
Directed by Celine Song
Starring Dakota Johnson, Chris Evans, Pedro Pascal
Running time: 117 minutes
Rated R
An update on the rom-com genre, Materialists succeeds both in developing a compelling trio of characters and in astutely observing modern dating dynamics. Dakota Johnson plays Lucy, a New York match-maker who is pursued by two very different men played by Pedro Pascal and Chris Evans. Both the main characters and their relationships must be strong and believable for this kind of movie to succeed, no matter its other strengths - and fortunately, it does both. Johnson (and the script) doesn’t make Lucy into the most unique or charismatic character, but Lucy does feel genuine and cohesive. Her key talent is in identifying (through both instinct and practice) what “marketable” attributes men and women offer for dating, and which prospective partners are most interested in those traits. Effectively, Lucy is a dating algorithm in human form, scoring candidates’ wealth, physical build/attractiveness, and (usually well behind the first two) personality and charisma. Materialists highlights how technology enables us to “filter” our potential mates by innumerable factors - and in doing so, traps us in a game that’s impossible to “win”. The script is often rather direct about these things, but while I would have preferred a bit more subtlety, it’s still strongly written. Pascal’s Harry is what Lucy refers to as a unicorn: a top score in virtually all aspects. But the movie doesn’t just portray him as an empty vessel of superficially-impressive traits; he genuinely is attracted to Lucy as a human and is a reasonable (in fact, kind of normal) person. Evans’s John, on the other hand, fails miserably in the wealth department, which Lucy has considered her non-negotiable; however, they are also exes who know each other extremely well, a quality whose high value is subtly demonstrated. The plot has a pretty familiar arc overall, although it’s adapted well to the particular elements of these characters and themes. The final third or so is also handled differently than I expected, though, and it provides some satisfying resolution while allowing some threads to remain open. Oh, and there is also some pretty good “com” in this rom-com, mostly from Lucy’s discussions with her clients and their quite blunt preferences for/experiences with their dates (Lucy’s restraint from eyebrow-raising or eye-rolling is quite impressive!).
***
These last two movies are not of the usual genres that I see in theaters - let alone in the summer! - but they were a nice change of pace. If anything, I would have expected my reactions to them to be reversed, but that’s why you have to see the movie before making judgment. For Elio, my feeling can be distilled almost to “meh” - already, my memories of it are somewhat faded/blurred. I fear that Pixar may be losing its magic touch, as last year’s Inside Out sequel (the original was amazing, and my #1 movie of 2015) was similarly “meh”. I thought Elemental was really good (and underrated), but before that, the last truly great Pixar movie was 2017’s Coco. Meanwhile, Materialists has a good Rotten Tomatoes score (81%) but has been mostly ignored by audiences, with just a $11 million opening weekend and $27 million altogether. Movies with star power and stories like this used to be big hits, but those days sadly seem to be over. They are not as visually spectacular, must-see-on-the-big-screen events as Star Wars, Jurassic Park, or superhero movies, but I am disappointed that fewer regular dramas like Materialists get released in theaters (and seen when they’re there). So give this one a shot! And if you have a family and are desperate to get the kids out of the house, Elio is a fine choice, too.
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