by Henry Pham
Marty Supreme marks the directorial solo debut as a film director for Josh Safdie, known for his collaborations with his brother Benny on Good Times and Uncut Gems. Benny, on the other hand, has recently directed The Smashing Machine, which featured leading star Dwayne Johnson and was released a few months ago. Marty Supreme is a sports-comedy-drama movie that takes place in New York City during the 1950s, and focuses on a young, determined man named Marty Mauser, who works as a shoe store employee. He soon wants to become a ping-pong player and starts entering a ping-pong competition in pursuit of greatness.
Oscar nominee and producer Timothée Chalamet (Call Me by Your Name, A Complete Unknown) stars as the film’s lead. His character works at his uncle’s shoe store but has no interest in management. Instead, he wants to become a ping pong champion. To fund his dream, he resorts to stealing from his boss and exploiting friends and family, ultimately leading to his downfall. Chalamet delivers a nuanced performance, capturing both the complexities of city life in New York and the determination required to excel in competitive sports. The role demands significant practice and dedication, particularly in portraying the intensity of professional table tennis.
Oscar winner Gwyneth Paltrow (Shakespeare in Love) delivers a standout performance as Kay Stone, an actress admired by Marty despite her marriage to Milton Rockwell (played by Kevin O’Leary in his acting debut). Paltrow’s character serves as both a mentor and a grounding influence, guiding Marty away from selfishness. The chemistry between Paltrow and Chalamet is a highlight of the film. Supporting performances from Odessa A’zion, Tyler Okonma, Abel Ferrara, and Fran Drescher are also strong and well-cast.
Josh Safdie solely directs this piece. The focus of the film is the main character Marty Mauser, who tries to fulfil his dream of becoming the world’s ping pong champion, with nothing standing in his way. The movie, in general, is solid and very memorable, while the rest of the cast is admirable. Though some scenes are tough to watch, with Marty’s character causing trouble. The cinematography, especially during ping pong scenes, is creative and concise. Although the camera shakes need work, the way the camera captures the ping-pong player’s emotional response in every game reveals to the audience the danger and life-threatening adventures on the ping-pong table. The accompanying sounds of every ping pong ball add a deeper layer of immersion for the sports fans and audience.
Although it is not a biographical film, the fictional lead character Marty Mauser was loosely based on the real-life ping-pong champion Marty Reisman. Whether it’s a scene in which the characters are in complete disagreement or sharing the things they loved most, audiences will easily relate to the struggles the Marty Mauser character faced, including corporate interference, relationship problems, and development issues. His direction and screenplay came out strong, but it is clear that Safdie and everyone involved in the film clearly understood the “Marty Reisman” source material. This is evident in the depiction of the 1950s American decade, through the mannerisms of Marty Supreme and other characters, the raw energy coming from professional ping pong players, and the messy life of an individual living in a big city.
The pacing needs work as the film’s runtime is 150 minutes. Whether you’re a ping pong enthusiast or a fan of Timothée Chalamet, this flick is worth the price of admission. Though I must advise you to be careful while watching it, as some scenes may be dark and intense. With the intensely heated plot filled with sports-playing adventures, Oscar contender Timothée Chalamet powerfully demonstrates sportsmanship in Marty Supreme. I enjoyed this movie as well as the main performance coming from Chalamet himself, whose acting role in this movie served as a huge breakthrough in his career. I think he should get an Oscar nomination (and perhaps a win) for his acting role, and Paltrow too for Best Supporting Actress.
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