Marty Supreme
Rating: 5/5
By: Nathaniel Simpson
I have been a big fan of the Safdie Brothers ever since their film Good Time, so I was both sad and excited when it was announced they were breaking up as a directing duo. It made me wonder which path both of them were going to take and what kind of movies we were going to receive from them as separate directors. Coincidentally enough, they both release sports films (in a way), with Benny making The Smashing Machine with Dwayne Johnson and Josh crafting Marty Supreme with Timothée Chalamet in the starring role. While I won't speak too much on Benny's film here, I will say that it is evident who the better brother is at writing a compelling, exciting story and then directing that onto the screen. Josh Safdie crafts a masterpiece in the art of filmmaking, a movie that always keeps you on the edge of your seat and thrilled with every twist and turn. At the same time, Timothée Chalamet gives an Oscar-worthy performance, surrounded by an acting ensemble that all does a fantastic job to tell this wild story of Marty Mauser.
Marty is on the hunt to be the best table tennis player in the world. He will stop at nothing to make sure he gets there, and will backstab and screw over whoever it takes to make sure he is on top. When loose ends and people he has betrayed come back to haunt him when he is especially down on his luck, Marty must now figure out a way to not only stay alive, but get himself to the next Table Tennis World Tournament to prove himself.
There are two aspects of this film that simply stand out as being some of the best aspects of filmmaking all year. The first is Josh Safdie and Ronald Bronstein's screenplay, which is then excellently brought to life on the screen by Safdie in the director's chair. This film is all over the place in the absolute best way possible. When going into the screening for this film, I was expecting a story about a ping pong player who is trying his hardest to become the best player in the world. What Bernstein and Safdie craft, however, is a story about a man who simply bites off more than he can chew, and he is now thrown into this seedy underbelly of New York where he constantly makes bad decisions and trusts the wrong people. There is not a single moment in this film that feels like it shouldn't be there, nor does it feel boring or tiresome at all. The movie runs at such a good pace and speed, and the two screenwriters add in so many bizarre and wacky elements that they all work together perfectly.
From there, Safdie then does a brilliant job at bringing this screenplay to life, making the movie feel as high-octane as the screenplay truly is. From the cinematography from Darius Khondji to the set and costume design to how Safdie works with his performers, every decision seems deliberately perfect and really makes this film stand out from the rest of the movies this year. Safdie has proven himself to be one of the best directors/screenwriters working today, and this movie is a perfect example of how talented he truly is. At the screening I went to at the Academy Museum almost a month ago, I got to hear from Safdie, Chalamet, Bronstein, and others about the making of this movie, and it was so inspiring to hear how much went into crafting this story about the fictional Marty Mauser.
The second aspect is the performances here, especially from Chalamet. He mentioned in his speech when winning the SAG for his take on Bob Dylan that he wanted to be one of the greats; I think he has achieved that here. There is no doubt in my mind that Chalamet is one of the absolute best actors working today, and this performance is a true representation of that. He is absolutely fantastic as Marty Mauser, and plays this role with such arrogant bravado that you love to hate him. I found myself numerous times rooting for his character to succeed but also wanting to see him have to own up to his mistakes. Marty is, without a doubt, a horrible person, but it can be chopped up to him just wanting to succeed and be the best table tennis player in the world. There are so many layers to Chalamet's performance that he touches on throughout the entirety of the film, and it is obvious that the young actor gave it his all here. I've been saying this since I saw the movie, but if he doesn't win the Oscar this year, I truly think he has been robbed.
Accompanying his performance are fantastic roles played by Gwyneth Paltrow, Odessa A'zion, Kevin O'Leary (yes, the businessman from Shark Tank), and Tyler Okonma (professionally known as Tyler, The Creator). This entire acting ensemble not only do a great job of complementing Chalamet's performance, but also adds so many layers to their own characters that everyone here feels so fleshed out and important. Each single character has a major reason for being there, and their choices they make with Marty are influenced by their pasts and what they know about the young table tennis player. Each of these incredibly talented performers do a wonderful job of bringing these characters to life on the screen, especially A'zion, who I think should also be getting a lot of awards buzz this season. This is one of those rare circumstances where every single actor does a fantastic job and have such a huge role in the movie that they all need to succeed. Thankfully, they all do, and it makes me wonder if they knew they were making one of the best movies of the year.
Safdie crafts one of the best movies of the year, and Chalamet deserves the Oscar that he has been wanting. I think the fact that he hasn't won one yet has inspired him to push himself in his performances, and this may truly be the best we have ever seen Chalamet on the screen. Safdie and Bronstein pen this beautifully chaotic story that works on every single level, one that needs to be seen on the big screen with an audience of people you don't know. This movie deserves to be seen as a shared experience, and I simply can't wait to go live in this world again and again with every rewatch.
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