MOVIE REVIEW: MARTY SUPREME

 

In the 1950s, young Marty Mauser pursues his dream of becoming a champion table-tennis player.

Director: Josh Safdie

Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Odessa A'zion, Kevin O'Leary, Tyler Okonma, Abel Ferrara, Fran Drescher

Release Date: December 25, 202

Genre: Drama, Sport

Rated R for language throughout, sexual content, some violent content/bloody images and nudity.

Runtime: 2h 29m

Review:

Marty Supreme is a chaotic but propulsive film from Josh Safdie that boasts a kinetic turn from Timothée Chalamet which drives the entire experience.  There’s an instant jolt of energy that pops off the screen as it takes off to a running start, rarely letting up during its two hour and half hour runtime.  Safdie quickly establishes the setting and cast of characters before moving into an impressively shot table tennis tournament.  The story moves at such a frenetic pace that only a few ill-advised musical choices take you out of the experience before you notice you’ve been fully engaged in a story about table tennis.  Timothée Chalamet magnetic central turn makes the entire engine churn as we follow his non-stop journey to achieve success.  Chalamet simply dissolves into the character who’s utterly charismatic and driven but incredibly flawed at the same time.  It’s a fascinating turn that shows off how talented he is as the film serves as a character study Marty’s drive and desires.  The character is ready made to be dissected as an example of what goes on in the head of a relentless competitor or even as a metaphor for the country as a whole.  There are plenty of layers that can be peeled off once it’s all said and done but Chalamet is simply the most interesting performer onscreen.  It helps that his character is given the largest amount of depth while the supporting characters prove to be far more one dimensional.   Gwyneth Paltrow and Odessa A'zion are both solid as respective love interest but we are given painfully little depth that leaves them feeling slightly underserved.  Kevin O'Leary, Tyler Okonma and Abel Ferrara likewise make the most of their screentime but there’s very little to any of them outside the superficial aspects offered up.  In the end, Marty Supreme is all about Timothée Chalamet’s performance, which creates the kind of cinematic gravitation pull that’s so enveloping that the rest feels almost unnecessary.  

A-

MOVIE REVIEW: SPINAL TAP II: THE END CONTINUES

 

Documentarian Marty DiBergi follows estranged Spinal Tap bandmates David St. Hubbins, Nigel Tufnel and Derek Smalls as they search for a drummer and prepare for a reunion concert in New Orleans. Joined by music royalty Paul McCartney and Elton John, Spinal Tap wrestles with their checkered past to put on a show that they hope will solidify their place in the pantheon of rock 'n' roll.

Director: Rob Reiner

Cast: Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, Rob Reiner, Fran Drescher, Valerie Franco, Chris Addison, Paul McCartney, Elton John, Garth Brooks, Questlove, Trisha Yearwood, Chad Smith, Lars Ulrich

Release Date: September 12, 2025

Genre: Comedy, Music

Rated R for language including some sexual references.

Runtime: 1h 22m

Review:

Spinal Tap II: The End Continues might not reach the heights of the original, but it still serves as a fitting encore to the story and characters.  Rob Reiner returns behind the camera and onscreen as documentarian Marty DiBergi with impressive ease on both counts.  The 40-year gap between the two films makes for plenty of fertile ground for the mockumentary to spoof since we have our fair share of aging rockstars still on the scene.  The offscreen drama after the original film revitalized the band’s career isn't too complicated or deep but it makes perfect sense for these characters.  Michael McKean's David St. Hubbins is still the chaotic mess we met in the original film and is as petty as ever as he's forced to rejoin the band due to some fine print in their original contract.  It’s the perfect kind of pretext to bring the Michael McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer's characters back together.  A montage of what these characters have been doing in the years since their break up is a hilarious appetizer for the main entree of these three guys trying to prep for a 1-night reunion performance.  Their ability to recapture the character's general vibe is pretty impressive as all three jump back into each one skin without missing a beat.  The assorted obstacles they run into as they reform and attempt to get this show off the ground is perfectly in line with the kind of self-inflicted silliness of the original even if they're not quite as memorable as the original.  It was always going to be a tough act to follow, and they don't have that seminal moment like this "this one goes to 11" but there's still plenty to enjoy especially their ongoing search for a new drummer and their living quarters in New Orleans.  Valerie Franco's Didi Crockett ends up tempting fate and joining the band as the new drummer.  Franco brings a breath of fresh air to the ensemble with her effervescent, positive energy coming through the screen.  Chris Addison, as their new concert promotor who can't comprehend music, Simon Howler gets more than a few moments to shine with his deadpan delivery of a variety of increasingly insensitive and silly suggestions for the aging rockers.  A series of cameos are all fun but Paul McCartney and Elton John get the biggest amount of screen time and they're clearly having a ball goofing around with the "legendary" band.  The film moves at an incredibly fast pace which leaves you wishing Reiner had given some moments a bit more time to germinate before moving on since some of the latter moments have a rather reflective quality that brings the character's full circle emotionally.  It would have added another layer to the whole thing but as is Spinal Tap II: The End Continue delivers the goods especially for fans of the original film.      

B+