It’s always fun to see a directing duo like the Safdie Brothers go their separate ways, if only to see who the more talented one was, really. We got our answer when we went to see Marty Supreme this past weekend, which put all of Josh Safdie’s talents out in the open for all to see. And make no mistake, you should see Marty Supreme.
Preferably in theatres, if you can wrangle enough funds to make that happen. Marty Supreme deserves the biggest screen possible, half-finished bucket of popcorn in hand. It tells the real-life story of Marty Mauser, a gifted table tennis player who’ll do anything to reach the top — and prove it to the world. Timothée Chalamet stars in what is undoubtedly his best work yet. That’s the elevator pitch, anyway.
Navigating the chaos of a Safdie movie
We, like many of you, hadn’t ever heard of Marty Mauser until A24 graced us with Marty Supreme. We came away from the film still not knowing much about the real man, instead becoming intimately familiar with the on-screen Mauser that made Marty Supreme the heart-racing, action-packed thriller it is. It’s all loosely based on real events, of course, but Safdie’s directing and writing take it to a whole other level.
For maybe fifteen minutes, Marty Supreme tricks the audience into thinking that they’re in for a run-of-the-mill sports film (a good one, at that). We see a broke-but-talented Marty Mauser competing for the world table tennis championships in the 1950s, only to be beaten and forced to Japan for a rematch. While a thrilling table tennis rivalry is the vehicle used to get butts in seats, it’s Marty Mauser that keeps ’em planted.
Or rather, a Marty Mauser controlled by one mettlesome Timothée Chalamet, guided to greatness by Josh Safdie, who proves that he can get by, and arguably succeed, just fine without his brother. Marty Supreme has all the hallmarks of a Safdie film — incredibly tight dialogue helped along by Ronald Bronstein, an engaging story that does its best to go off the rails at every turn, and outstanding performances from (nearly) everyone involved.
Mauser isn’t above using his persuasive and oftentimes downright nasty personality to get what he wants — what he needs. Whether it’s his friend (played by the surprisingly competent Tyler, The Creator), girlfriend, potential investors (played by Kevin O’Leary — yup, the shark), or even Kay Stone — an actress past her prime and in Mauser’s sights. We’ll let you find out the film’s finer plot points for yourself — it is best experienced blind.
Adding fuel to the fire
Marty Supreme wouldn’t be half the movie it is without decent performances to elevate the fast-paced dialogue. Kevin O’ Leary is easily the worst of a fantastic bunch, but that isn’t surprising — he struggles to keep up with his co-stars on Shark Tank, too. Even so, O’ Leary puts in a fairly convincing shift, even if he is imitating his own life — though with a touch less assholery and about as much ego.
It came as a bit of a shock to see Tyler, The Creator in Marty Supreme, but even more unexpected to see him go toe-to-toe with Chalamet at every turn. Anybody who knows the rapper can tell you that he’s hilarious — a skill that comes in handy in Marty Supreme — but how many of them could have guessed he’d shine brightest of the supporting cast of any movie? We won’t make that mistake again.
After seeing Gwyneth Paltrow (another surprising addition to an already wacky cast) skate by in every Marvel movie for the past decade, we’d almost forgotten that she became famous for a reason. She goes to great lengths to remind us why, showing us exactly why she has love songs written about her. We see you, Chris.
Marty Supreme wouldn’t work without Timothée Chalamet doing the heavy lifting, and lift he does. Even if the audience isn’t meant to relate to or praise Mauser’s struggle, rough jokes, or attitude towards women, you can’t help but root for the guy. Chalamet lives and breathes Marty Mauser, and those fumes transcend the silver screen and fill up the audience — to the point that we regularly found ourselves leaning forward in our seats. It’s easily one of Chalamet’s best, and one that’ll certainly earn him a couple of nods in the awards season.
Marty Supreme verdict
Marty Supreme is a breathless, oftentimes staggering bit of art that all but confirms Josh Safdie’s superiority in Hollywood and his family home. Sharp dialogue, action sure to get your blood pumping, and a career-best performance from Timothée Chalamet are just some of the things that Marty Supreme gets right over and over again. Marty Supreme reminds us why we still love to go to the theatre. Well worth the price of admission.
Marty Supreme began its local theatrical run on Friday, 2 January.
