New York: In what is being hailed as a career-defining performance, Timothée Chalamet delivers an electric turn in Marty Supreme, the latest “nerve-busting adrenaline jolt” from director Josh Safdie. Set against the gritty backdrop of 1950s Manhattan, the film is a breakneck exploration of ambition, obsession, and the high-stakes world of professional table tennis.
The Ultimate Striver
Chalamet plays Marty Mauser, a restless, wiry shoe salesman from the Lower East Side who believes—with terrifying certainty—that he is destined to rule the world. Loosely inspired by real-life table tennis legend Marty Reisman, Chalamet’s Marty is a “striver” in the purest sense. To inhabit the role, Chalamet undergoes a subtle transformation: stick-thin, acne-scarred, and sporting a skimpy mustache and round spectacles that mask his typical movie-star sheen.
A Safdie Solo Masterpiece
Following his split from brother Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie maintains the high-anxiety aesthetic of Uncut Gems. The film opens with a witty sequence morphing traveling sperm into ping-pong balls, setting the stage for a story that never slows down.
- The Plot: Marty is a brash salesman who boasts he could “sell shoes to an amputee,” but his true passion is the paddle. Driven to become the face of American sports, Marty’s journey takes him from London’s Ritz—where he woos a former movie star (Gwyneth Paltrow) and a tycoon (Tyler, the Creator)—to the side stages of the Harlem Globetrotters.
- The Stakes: Ambition turns dangerous when Marty resort to armed robbery to fund his international aspirations, eventually finding himself on the run as he desperately tries to reach the world championships in Tokyo.
A Masterclass in Casting and Craft
The film features a dizzying array of over 100 characters, blending seasoned actors with non-acting personalities and cameos from the likes of David Mamet and high-wire artist Philippe Petit.
- The Score: Daniel Lopatin (Oneohtrix Point Never) provides a propulsive score that mimics the frantic ricochet of a ping-pong ball.
- The Visuals: Cinematographer Darius Khondji captures Safdie’s “street poet” version of New York with a breakneck, never-stopping camera.
Verdict
Marty Supreme is a singular achievement—a film that manages to be both “preordained and magically fresh.” It asks whether a single-minded striver can ever truly learn about life beyond the win. As the movie suggests: “Everybody’s got to learn sometime.”
Rating: ★★★★ (4/4 Stars) Release: A24 Running Time: 149 Minutes