Marty Supreme review by Bobby Blakey
After their success co-directing films like Good Time and Uncut Gems brothers Benny and Josh Safdie have split to take on some solo projects that are both getting tons of buzz. Josh Safdie’s film Marty Supreme takes on an interesting subject matter in ping pong in the 50s. The film teams him up with Timothée Chalamet that looks to deliver, but can it find its way to the court, or will it fail to score?
Marty Supreme follows Marty Mauser, a young man with a dream no one respects, goes to hell and back in pursuit of greatness. The film features an impressive supporting cast including Gwyneth Paltrow, Odessa A'zion, Kevin O'Leary, Tyler Okonma, Abel Ferrara, and Fran Drescher. Howard Stern show fans keep an eye out for a small part from wack pack mother Maryann from Brooklyn with her signature voice front and center.
This is another of those films that just didn’t pique my interest despite the talent involved. It has been getting lots of buzz, but the story idea was one that I just couldn’t fathom being all that engaging, but I was so wrong. There is so much here to unload both good and bad, but there is no doubt this is one of the best movies of the year. That being said not everyone might agree.
Marty is one of those charismatic characters that you cannot help but root for and be engaged in by his every word. At the same time, he leaves destruction and chaos in his wake that also makes you hate him at times. The strength of the character and Chalamet’s performance is that he keeps you tittering on the love and hate throughout while still carrying and rooting for him at every turn. Marty is not a good guy, but you can also understand his plight and obsession for more. It can be frustrating though in how he does things and puts others through.
The film moves at a breakneck pace from one chaotic moment of his life to the next.
It never loses its focus despite the constant wave of story elements and cleverly a lot of them that may not seem all that important tend to weave right back in. Every time he is getting ahead, and things look brighter there is that bad decision or unfortunate event that knocks him right back down. This can frustrate the audience, but it is important for the hopeful growth of the character leading to the finale that is not what you might expect.
I never thought watching ping pong could be all that exciting, but they have done just that. While it is not a primary focus to the film it is the main reason behind it all so there are plenty of moments to watch them in action. Each match we get to see is shot with intensity and focus making something that is so simple in its idea be something so much bigger, much like Marty himself. Despite my frustrations with the characters choices and things he does to those around him I still loved this movie way more than I thought I would.
The film is powerful, emotional, exciting and frustrating all at once and once again proves the power of Chalamet’s talent along with Safdie’s skills as a director. I have been becoming more and more of a fan of Chalamet, and this film further cement his status as one of the best young talents out there.
Decide for yourself and grab your paddle to check out Marty Supreme in theaters now from A24.