It has been a long time since 2017’s “Call Me By Your Name,” and one of the many incredible things about that film was the way it showcased Timothée Chalamet. Ever since then, Chalamet has been everywhere. From indie classic “Lady Bird” to leading blockbuster man in “Dune,” he has kind of done it all. What makes Chalamet one of the best movie stars in the world is this ability to do pretty much anything, and “Marty Supreme” capitalizes on this like no other movie he has done.
“Marty Supreme” is a 1950s drama-comedy about Marty Mauser, who dreams of making it big as a professional table tennis player. That concept may seem completely ridiculous, but director and writer Josh Safdie, along with co-writer Ronald Bronstein, pull this off so well that it is almost absurd. The film really is about table tennis, but what makes it such a success is how far one man is willing to go to achieve his dream.
In the year of “what it is like to live in America” themed films like “Eddington,” “Bugonia” and “One Battle After Another,” not one of those has had the entire focal point being about the American dream like “Marty Supreme.” It is hard not to look at Marty Mauser and immediately connect to someone who so passionately believes in himself and what he wants to do; it is something that everyone can relate to, and it’s why the movie works.
Another reason the movie works is just how electric the filmmaking is. Safdie, best known for “Good Time” and “Uncut Gems”, has made a career of this anxiety-driven style of filmmaking, and it is cranked to 11 here. For nearly half of the movie, it feels like the most anxiety-inducing thing that has ever been filmed. Marty’s desperate attempts to fulfill his dream grow increasingly insane, culminating in a series of awful decisions that draw the mafia into the mix. As the movie progresses, it becomes increasingly uneasy until the credits roll, with one of the year’s best needle drops.
What brings this whole movie together is, of course, Chalamet’s performance. His performance in this is easily the best of his career. He is in close to every scene of this two-hour and 30-minute movie, and he commands the screen whenever he is on it. It seems like every other year, Chalamet has had a movie-star-making performance, but this is finally it. The movie rests on his shoulders, and he goes above and beyond.
Gwyneth Paltrow is also shockingly good here, the first time in a long time she has been in something outside of superhero movies, and it feels like she can finally act again in this. I was shocked how good she was. Odessa A’zion is also great, in a breakout performance.
This film is just special. In a year that has had a ton of great films, “Marty Supreme” is among the best. It is an American epic in every sense of the word, with some of the most electrifying moments of the year. Safdie’s direction and editing complement Chalamet’s performance perfectly. “Marty Supreme” takes the cake for one of the year’s best films.
10/10
