Marty Supreme Review

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Who knew ping pong could be so stressful? Yes, Timothée Chalamet’s latest outing sees him as a 1950s table tennis superstar scrambling to scrape together enough money to reach the coveted Table Tennis World Championships.

 (A24)

There was a lot of noise circling Marty Supreme as I entered the doors of my screening on a cold Wednesday night in January. And once I left those doors, I understood why.

Josh Safdie’s Marty Supreme is a high-octane, borderline thriller following the highs and lows of Chalamet’s Marty Mouser as he runs around a grimy 1950s New York, chasing every penny he can get his hands on to scrape together enough money to make his way to the Table Tennis World Championships and fulfil his “purpose” of becoming the first American World Champion.

Marty Supreme had me squirming in my seat throughout its 2 hour 29 minute runtime, and Chalamet, as always, shines. He perfectly toes the line between charisma and arrogance, keeping you invested in a protagonist who is often deeply unlikable. We follow Marty as he lies, cheats, and puts himself first, yet Chalamet’s performance ensures we never fully turn against him. Burdened by his own talent, he convincingly portrays both Marty’s extraordinary table tennis ability, skills reportedly honed while shooting Dune: Part Two, and a man blinded by ambition and ego. It is this obsession with his dream that drives Marty, and those around him, into truly awful situations. A hidden vulnerability at the heart of Chalamet’s performance ultimately allows us to root for a character capable of some heinous acts.

Alongside Chalamet, the film features a plethora of great supporting performances from Odessa A’zion, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Tyler, The Creator, all giving their all to their equally morally corrupt characters. Once more, the film ultimately made the decision to cast 150 “non-actors,” something I was not privy to while watching but which has proven to be an inspired choice. These roles bring authentic life to Marty’s world, populating this fictional New York with real people rather than mere portrayals of them.

Safdie’s direction keeps you hooked from the get-go, whizzing you from scene to scene and making the film feel like a rollercoaster ride from start to finish. The table tennis sequences are wonderfully intense, and I was genuinely on the edge of my seat during every match we see in the film. Was the film slightly too long? Potentially. With scenes in the film’s final act feeling more like a drag than those in the first two.

I also particularly loved the use of music from across different periods throughout history, choosing the right song emotionally rather than the historically correct one. Additionally, the film is punctuated by an incredible needle drop in its final moments, soundtracked by Tears for Fears’ Everybody Wants to Rule the World. It results in my favourite Chalamet performance to date, a moment of pure, unbridled emotion that lingers long after the credits roll.

Overall, Safdie’s Marty Supreme is a great watch, the perfect first cinema trip of the year and an all-round wild ride. With a great premise, outstanding performances, and expert filmmaking, it’s easy to overlook its slightly bloated runtime. So, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to pick up a ping pong paddle.