The Materialists Interview | Chris Evans & Dakota Johnson on Love, Fame, & Celine Song’s Direction

How the **** are you doing today? Hello, how are you? I'm doing good. Oh, I love you in the middle of that poster. But you're still with me, Dakota. You're still with me. I'm just from you. I like it. One of my favorite scenes in the movie is when your characters first meet, because it's so chaotic that I'm just like, I know they've been through some mess and I just needed to know every detail. So I really wanted you to talk about it, bringing that like, we've been through some stuff type of energy together because the quiet moments, there's so much that's being said without words even coming out. Yeah, that's what Celine's great at. I mean, Celine's dialogue is always so grounded, so authentic and it's not always from the words, it's from the spaces. It's from the moments of silence and the understanding, specifically when there's a history between characters. She's so good at giving those moments a chance to breathe and that just creates so much interest from the audience and yeah, that scene had plenty of it. That was a good answer. Oh, thanks. I like that we focus on having self-worth in dating because Chris, I was ready to shake John like, honey, stand up and love yourself, please. And he didn't. So I really wanted to know like, what do you want people to take from this? Especially people who are feeling like they have to be more valuable to be loved in society right now. John isn't happy where he is in life and it can, to admit to yourself what you want, not just in life, but specifically in love, takes courage because sometimes it's easier to project an attitude of not caring than to try and fail. And I think that's what John is grappling with and the hardest thing to do is to admit to himself that he wants love and he wants Lucy and that takes a lot of vulnerability. But he's on a road, if he doesn't do that, you're on a road of just suffering otherwise. I think also people are fed like these lives that are not necessarily real on the internet, like on social media. So people think they have to live a certain way in order to be fulfilled and happy and that's just not real. Everyone behind the camera is nodding. They're like- You can't look at yourself right now, okay? But Dakota with Lucy, I find her so interesting because depending on who you're speaking to in the movie, she gives a different version of herself. It's almost like she has different defenses up depending on who she's connecting with. So I wanted you to talk about the approach of playing somebody who's constantly calculating her own value, but while also doubting her worth at the same time. Yes, well, I think that is something that people who work in commerce, business, trade, it's transactional what she's doing. And so she has to present as a certain person to appeal to certain people. And then I think that starts to really eat away at her soul because it's not authentic. So the big crux of the story is that she starts to just listen to her real soul. I love that. But I mean, also too, it's weird because I almost see dating as, it's like kind of like capitalistic now. It feels like it's all about what you can offer, how do you look on paper? And I think one of the things that I really admire about the both of you, because it's being as actors, we tend to objectify actors a lot. And so I wanna know for you, like how have you learned to guard yourself in this industry? God, that's a good question. Yeah, you take that one. Well, I think you usually learn the hard way, by the first thing you do is you give a little too much and you get burned and you realize, okay, some things have to be just for me. Because look, this is an industry that we chose, this wasn't- That's true, you're really good at that. What? Things that are just for you. Some things have to be, and I'm an open guy, I really am. But to some degree, you have to find a line, you have to set your boundaries, just like in any profession. And it's tricky finding the balance. And like I said, you usually find it by making mistakes and realizing what hurt, what was too much. And I'm a bit older now, and so I know what I feel I chose this industry. So to some degree, it's part of the job. I owe a little bit, but not everything. And- That's a very serious answer. Oh, is it? Yeah. Too much? Well, it got really serious. It got heavy, it got heavy. I don't think I owe anything. I gave it all up right from the start. There's nothing left. Look, y'all don't owe nobody nothing. So that's why I like that you protect your peace and your privacy. So I respect that, I receive that. But I just want to thank y'all so much for taking time out of your day to speak with me. I appreciate you. And I'm just sending love and light both your ways. I hope you have a great day. Thank you so much. Likewise, thank you. Thank you, bye. How are you doing today? I'm good, how are you? Oh my God, I'm seeing your background and you're sitting exactly where Lucy is. I love it so much. I just want to feel like I'm in her position that I have two beautiful men fighting for my love, okay? I love it so much. I needed to see this movie because I've actually been thinking about getting a matchmaker. So I felt like this was a sign from the universe. But I really love the fact that you were a real life matchmaker. And I wanted to know, because I think it's so funny, like we shop for love, like we're trying to buy a house or something like it's something to generate ourselves. I want to know for you, like, what was the craziest requirement that you ever heard as a matchmaker? Well, I feel like what's amazing is that there's never anything that crazy. It's always like something that's quite consistent, right? Because I feel like because of how long that, you know, in the media and in the way that we grow up, our beauty standard and our wealth standards and everything else is so equalizing. It's kind of like this amazing, like one particular market that we all have to participate in, that actually the thing that everybody wants is the same, right? So and it's the same, there's the same ideal height, same ideal weight, same ideal income, same ideal kinds of jobs. So to be honest, what was most remarkable is not one particular thing, but it was actually the complete consistency. Everybody's looking for the same thing, right? In a way that, because I think that we as a world is like aligned about what the values are as in like who, and I think it's something that's been shaped through so much media and, you know, so much of the way that we talk about dating. So it's kind of like, I don't know, I think I was more shocked by the consistency. There was no variety. I wish there was like something really wild and total variety, but the truth is, you know, what my whole experience as a matchmaker, it was fairly consistent, yeah. Everybody wants, they want a tall guy with a good job, and then they want a young, beautiful woman. Let me think about how the film like explores this idea that dating has kind of become another form of capitalism. And I wanted you to talk about how you balance like the satire of that in the film, but also while portraying the harsh realities that this is where we're headed right now. Well, I think the thing that really always struck me is the way that we commodify and objectify each other, and especially ourselves, because then I think that it's increasingly getting more intense because now we have social media, right? Now the whole of the marketplace, dating marketplace is on our phones, right? So we have, it used to be that it was, I would think about this when it comes to Victorian romances, right? These kinds of gossip conversation about who is marriage material, who is wealthy enough to marry, who is a great catch, all of those things used to happen in small communities or in a ballroom or something like that. But now it's like, now you have a global dating market on our phones. So I think that that truth is that there is a kind of an endless commodification and objectification of ourselves as a product. In the film, there's a character who says, well, but I'm not merchandise, I'm a person. And to me, that's really at the heart of this film. That's the thing that I wanted to, I think, talk about, because the truth is, I think that when we talk about the partner that we're looking for, we're talking about so often in numbers, the height, weight, income. But the truth is that if you ask anybody who love us why they love us, they wouldn't say a single number, right? It would be more about, I don't know, the way that we feel together or something like that. It would never be with numbers. So how is it that we're dating in pursuit of love and you're dealing with all these numbers, but then love itself is something that you're not going to achieve by talking about numbers, you know? That was so beautiful. Oh my gosh. I feel like this is a therapy session now, okay? Thank you. But, you know, for my last question, I want to know, Lucy is somebody who, she presents herself to the world in a different way, and while she's calculating people's value, she continues to doubt her worth. I want to ask you, what message do you want to give to people from this film who are currently feeling like they are not valuable enough to be loved? I mean, I think that that's unfortunately so many of us. I think even those of us who are loved, I think it's something that we almost experience every day, in a way. But I think that the truth is to accept that we're all perfect, and that there is no such thing as value. At the end of it, that's the truth. And that once you're able to accept yourself as you are, even though, of course, we're all being crushed by the dating market, we're being crushed by everybody's judgment, even if you're able to actually think about yourself as a human being, and then to accept yourself in that way, then it's going to be very easy to identify people who love you for who you are, right? And not just for all the things that you represent in the value system that we're all participating in. Look, I want to thank you so much. I want to go watch this movie again after having this conversation. Your thoughtful responses, and even taking time out of your day to speak with me. I'm just in love with life. Thank you so much. This was so fun. Thank you so much. I love talking to you. This was great. Thank you. Bye.