Materialists

When it comes to courtship in the social-media age, Materialists points out that we’re all obsessed with age and money and physical appearance instead of really matters. Like, duh.

Perhaps it’s appropriate that this somewhat cynical romantic comedy from director Celine Song (Past Lives) tends to feel calculated and transactional, with intimacy issues to boot.

However, despite a strong cast, it never fully commits to either adhering to genre conventions or subverting them, and the result suffers from familiar trappings that undercut its more sophisticated aspirations.

With hints of Jane Austen, the film probes the superficiality of the contemporary high-end urban dating scene, where potential partners are treated like commodities and investments and defined by their most shallow qualities.

It’s set in Manhattan, where Lucy (Dakota Johnson) is a matchmaker for upper-middle class clients whose algorithms and checklists have produced enough successful results that her co-workers look to her as an expert.

Of course, the unflappable Lucy hasn’t found a successful match for herself, which doesn’t seem concerning until she encounters two men who reveal her insecurities — both during a client’s wedding reception.

Harry (Pedro Pascal) is the groom’s charming brother who seems to be her ideal suitor, although Lucy questions whether she’s good enough. Then there’s ex-boyfriend John (Chris Evans), a fledgling theater actor who just happens to be catering the event. He barely scrapes by while sharing a messy apartment with roommates, but there’s clearly still a spark.

Yet after an unexpected mishap involving a jilted bachelorette, Lucy questions her ability to find the right match — for her or anyone else.

Song’s screenplay struggles to balance breezy whimsy with deeper disillusionment. The dialogue is sharp and the actors flesh out their roles, although the film can’t muster much fresh insight into modern romance.

One highlight involves Lucy and Harry on a date in an upscale restaurant where they break down each other’s assets and dissect their compatibility like they’re negotiating a corporate merger. There are also Lucy’s amusing meetings with her entitled and obnoxious clients listing their unrealistic expectations.

While depicting the anguish and angst on all three corners of the love triangle, the film doesn’t provide sufficient incentive for emotional investment in who winds up happy in the end.

After all, most of the stuffy, upper-middle class New Yorkers that populate Materialists should probably remain single. But then there wouldn’t be a movie.

Rated R, 116 minutes.