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-
