Timothée Chalamet has spent the better part of a year telling us all that he really was in pursuit of greatness, and though not everybody took to his athlete-like outlook on his craft, you’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone still doubting whether he can walk just as well as he can talk once his latest flick, Marty Supreme, releases worldwide.
Going into the film, however, perhaps the most intriguing element is that it marks a new era in the career of Josh Safdie, who, for the first time, was left entirely to his own devices. His brother and, up to this point, lifelong collaborator, Benny Safdie, released a solo effort of his own earlier this year with the Dwayne Johnson-starring Mark Kerr biopic, The Smashing Machine. The result? A surprisingly quaint and gentle slow burn that, when placed next to the Safdie brothers’ previous work, looked almost unrecognisable. Gone were the typical aggressive and hostile protagonists or, even the usual quick-witted dialogue and anxiety-inducing editing style that always left you with the feeling that it could all come to a sudden halt at any given moment. Rather, Johnson’s Kerr was a tender and compassionate man, a complete divergence from Adam Sandler’s Howard Ratner in Uncut Gems or Robert Pattinson’s Connie Nikas from Good Time.
Benny’s smoother and more subtle storytelling meant that the film lacked that usual gripping Safdie bite that Josh’s Marty Supreme brings in spades. Safe to say, then, if you happen to be one of those people who identified the two as some of the most exciting and forward-thinking filmmakers working today, but ultimately found themselves surprised or perhaps even a little disappointed by The Smashing Machine, chances are, you’re gonna love this one.
Marty Supreme has truly got it all. Action, drama, superb performances, excellent visuals, clever editing, and, most of all, an overwhelming feeling that the film is completely and utterly alive. Chalamet’s Marty Mauser is oozing with a level of charisma and defiance that makes it impossible to look away as he embarks on an odyssey to the top that is full of all the ups, downs, bells, and whistles you could possibly imagine, complete with a supporting cast that makes it all the more entertaining. Chief among them, businessman and television personality Kevin O’Leary, who, despite making his acting debut, looked every bit as comfortable on screen as he did selling educational software in the 80s. And though O’Leary surely didn’t have to dig particularly deep into his arsenal to find the inner conniving, capitalist ego-maniac within himself, he remained a standout performer nonetheless. Giving a truly despicable and inherently evil performance that would not look out of place amongst next year’s best supporting actor nominees. Gwyneth Paltrow, Odessa A’zion, musician Tyler, The Creator, and renowned director Abel Ferrara all leave an impression in their own right, too. Once again proving the Safdies’ long-standing ability to nurture outstanding performances from their stars regardless of experience.
A’zion, as Rachel Mizler, Marty’s long-term friend and part-time lover, acts as the emotional linchpin of the film, best demonstrating the difference in how others view Marty versus how Marty views others. Unconditional love versus transactional attention, a devastating peer into the often unfair fallout of those surrounding one on the road to reaching their final destination of perceived destiny.
Tyler Okonma, better known as Tyler, The Creator, in the role of Wally, is a part of some of the film’s most high-octane sequences that could easily have seen a lesser performer be swallowed whole. Tyler, though, manages to translate his musical prowess into cinematic magic, with perfect comedic timing and a screen presence fit for one of such stature and brilliance.
Gwyneth Paltrow’s Kay Stone provides one of the more interesting dynamics with Marty, a former screen icon whose star shone dimmer and dimmer as the years went on, thanks to her husband, Kevin O’Leary’s Milton Rockwell. Stone, as a supremely talented artist who compromised her craft for those around her, represents everything Marty is fearful of succumbing to, viewing her more as a means to climb further up the ladder of success than as a person of her own.
Marty’s story is loosely inspired by real-life American table tennis player Marty Reisman, whose exuberant character and showman-like playing style made him one of the sport’s most prominent personalities. Going on to win 22 major table tennis titles between 1946 and 2002, before finally becoming president of Table Tennis Nation in 2010, a position he held until his death in December 2012.
Chalamet’s Marty carries all the same theatrics and flamboyance, whilst bringing a grit and determination to the table that mirrors that of Chalamet’s real-life Oscar pursuit. An openly proclaimed pursuit of greatness that he continues to back up with one exceptional performance after another, and in this instance, one that could well make Lil Timmy Tim the favourite to claim the little golden man come March of next year.
As for Josh Safdie’s proficiency behind the camera, the hundred-mile-an-hour, frantic nightmare filmmaking of his previous work is back and stronger than it’s ever been. Rapid cuts, booming sound design, thrilling score and tight close-ups that give no concern to personal privacy, all working in tandem to provide some of the most intense and thrilling moments of the year that promise to knock the wind out of its audience.
As for his pen, with each release, you can’t help but wonder more and more if Josh Safdie actually has the Midas touch. With everything he touches, seemingly turning to gold. His latest effort is unsurprisingly no different, a supremely funny, effortlessly entertaining, and absolutely wild trip from start to finish. A genuine masterclass in storytelling from Safdie and co-writer Ronald Bronstein.
Perhaps the screenplay’s biggest success, however, is that, amongst all the chaos, it manages to hide the fact that this is, in fact, not a film about table tennis. But rather a story about what really makes one great in a world full of aspirations and dreams, it highlights the beauty of humanity and truthfulness to oneself that separates each individual from the next. Reminding both Marty and the viewer that no matter the lengths they may think they need to go to succeed, nothing will ever be more important than remaining present, humble, and grateful for those around you.
This approach is one that Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers took just last year, understanding that though the sport sequences themselves can make for an entertaining spectacle, it’s the human through line that gets audiences invested. With a focus on relationship dynamics, human emotion, and what it means to be alive, present across the two films.
Marty Supreme truly is just the whole package, a genuine modern American classic that’s as entertaining as it is taxing. A panic attack, a barrel of laughs, and an introspective look into the human psyche with a powerhouse Timothée Chalamet performance leading you through it all the way.
In a year that’s seen the likes of One Battle After Another, Train Dreams, and Sinners, Marty Supreme sits comfortably in their company, and solidifies not only itself as one of the decade’s finest, but Josh Safdie as a defining voice of his generation, and Chalamet as one of the few true movie stars around, capable of carrying a project almost entirely on his own two shoulders.