Marty Supreme Review: Chalamet Puts in Career-Best Performance in Incredible Thriller

Director Josh Safdie (Uncut Gems, Good Time) pairs with Timothée Chalamet (Dune 1, 2) for Marty Supreme, a character study loosely based off real life ping-pong player Marty Mauser.

Synopsis:

In the 1950s, young Marty Mauser (Chalamet) pursues his dream of becoming a champion table-tennis player.

Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Odessa A'Zion, Kevin O'Leary, Tyler The Creator

Release Date:

In Theaters Now

Chalamet Gets Closer To His Oscar Moment

Credit: A24

If you listened to anything I said last year, I was rooting hard for Timothée Chalamet to win Best Actor for A Complete Unknown. It wasn't even my top performance of the year, but the way he acted in the awards tour made him instantly more likable than anyone he was going against (that's not shade against the other candidates, by the way). After that snub and a loss earlier in his career, I think this movie is finally the time he gets that coveted Oscar. Frankly, it's crazy we are already having this discussion for a guy who just turned 30 this past week. But seeing the work he put into the preparation for this role already puts him a leg above the rest of the pack. We had been hearing for months that he'd been preparing to play this role for years previously and that it was the most prep work he's ever done for one of his performances. This may have seen like exaggeration and simply press for an upcoming project, but you can absolutely see it from the first five minutes of this film.

Similar to the prior two Safdie brothers films (not counting The Smashing Machine), Marty Supreme follows one character on a journey of absolutely insane proportions. The entire movie centers around Marty and the scenarios that he goes through to reach his goals. This takes the audience on some wild rides, but Chalamet is never fazed. He's got a commanding presence over the entire film and never misses a beat, even when there's an incredible amount of things going on at once. The screenplay is already great on it's own, but Chalamet's performance even elevates it. There's lots of snappy and quick dialogue, but you never feel lost because of how good his line delivery is. Finally, he completely sells you and keeps you engaged in all the ping-pong scenes. You can totally see how much he trained for these scenes, as he never feels out of place alongside actual professional players. Even the emotion he shows during some of the lower moments for his character is just an incredible feat given how strenuous the scenes are. This is a dedicated and impressive performance from one of the best actors of his generation. I'll still be rooting for Michael B. Jordan among all other actors this upcoming awards season, but a win for Chalamet would be as deserving as possible.

Supporting Cast Holds Their Own

Credit: A24

This film happens to feature one of the most wild supporting casts alongside known commodities in Chalamet and Gwyneth Paltrow. As for Paltrow, she's obviously on point as usual. I don't think it gets to the Oscar-worthy point for me, but the way she's inserted into the story is very interesting and you always feel there is something more to her character due to the acting job. Her and Chalamet are spicy scene partners, playing off each other from their first conversation early in the film. Odessa A'Zion has been a rising star in comedic roles for many years now, but seeing her in a more serious offering here was great. She slowly becomes one of our main emotional connections to the story, even as much as Marty refuses to let her in. There's a lot of great acting from her in the more serious scenes, but she definitely keeps up in the funnier scenes as expected.

As for some of the newcomers, it's a great acting job from two people that I never thought I'd see act in a movie. First you've got Kevin O'Leary, of Shark Tank and just general fame. He's said in interviews that he's been reluctant in the past to accept acting roles, so it really shows how impressive Safdie's pitch was that he decided to take a swing at this role. O'Leary delivers some of the funniest scenes in the film, but also allows you to feel the tension towards the end as his relationship with Chalamet's character comes to a head. His character craves control, which is about the opposite of what Marty can offer in a business situation. You see him keep Marty in check for the majority of the film, but when that starts to slip it's fascinating to see the two of them on screen. Music artist Tyler The Creator doesn't have a huge role in this film, but his scenes had me incredibly impressed from a guy who hasn't acted much. His extended sequences with Marty were just hilarious and some of the more tense scenes in the entire film. Their comedic chemistry is off the charts and frankly, I'd love to see more of them acting together in the future. Obviously Chalamet is our main focus for this film, but the cast of characters surrounding him being as good as they are really helps for the success of the final product.

One Of The Best Film Scores In Recent Memory

Credit: A24

I don't even know how it's possible, but Daniel Lopatin's score is almost on par with Chalmet's performance for the best aspect of this film. First, there's the tracks that play alongside the ping-pong scenes that keep you engaged even with how repetitive the sport can be. You would never think this sport could be as tense as it was in this film, but Lopatin paired with Chalamet's dedication makes for a lethal duo. Even past those scenes, the beats that play in the wild ride outside of the matches are just as good. If you've seen Uncut Gems, it's almost a replica of his score in that film in terms of making you as stressed as humanly possible. But even with that stress and tension, the score never allows you to get lost. It keeps you locked in for a runtime that is closer to three hours, an incredible feat considering the source material may not sound too interesting on paper. There's even a few tracks that go away from the tension, specifically when it comes to the relationship between Chalamet and Paltrow. Going from the more high pressure tracks to the lighter ones doesn't feel like a huge tonal shift and it's due to the incredible composing job from Lopatin. There's been so many good film scores this year, from Sinners to One Battle After Another, but this one absolutely belongs among the best. For those who have seen the film, my top three tracks right now are: "Endo's Game", "The Real Game", and "Force Of Life."

Bonkers In The Best Way Possible

Credit: A24

Simply put, this entire film is just insane. What seems like a simple character study on paper is turned on its head with that signature Safdie style. Safdie's screenwriting (alongside Ronald Bronstein) and direction allows for composure within the madness. It gets to a point where you really couldn't imagine a much better choice than him to tell this story. It's just filmmaking magic that a film can be this good when having so many storylines and characters coming into the story every few minutes. This really is a perfect film to watch in a theater or with many other people. There are plenty of reaction-worthy moments that Safdie/Bronstein totally play into with the screenplay. It's clear that everyone involved knows how insane the concept is and them being comfortable within that sandbox is what made this film so great. Chalamet elevates it all with his performance, but just the general filmmaking is on a level among the best we've seen this year. Even the sound design was noticeably great. Marty Supreme stands out because of all these reasons and more, a testament to everyone involved in making it happen.

Final Thoughts

I figured I would like this film due to the incredibly positive early reactions, but it just blew my expectations out of the water. Chalamet/Safdie is a duo I never knew I needed and the soundtrack has been on repeat ever since I left the theater. This one will be memorable for many years to come and it's an incredible way to (almost) end a great year of film! Go see this film on the biggest screen possible!

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

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