Howdy everyone and welcome to a brand new review! For this one, I will be dissecting the second of two sports related movies that were directed by one half of the Safdie Brothers duo distributed by A24 (funny how things turn out). With this one, Marty Supreme centers around the story of a real life ping pong player, but from I what gather things went about a lot differently than in this movie. I was definitely curious as to what Josh Safdie had in store as the trailers really intrigued, presenting an underdog story that looked to play against the grain. I have also become a huge fan of Timothee Chalamet as an actor, as I feel he is one the most talented young actors working today and I have been very impressed by his output. So, him getting a lead role in a movie like this, clearly meant to go for some awards, had me stoked for what this had in store, with the phenomenal reviews only making me more excited! So, did Marty Supreme end living up to it’s name? Let’s jump right in and see what escapades Mr. Mouser was up to!
We follow the titular character of Marty Mouser, a shoe salesman for his uncle working in 1952 New York City, who also competes in professional table tennis. He yearns of winning the British Open against the best of the best in order to bring more attention to the sport and is confident in achieving his goal, to the point where he is investing heavily in making his own orange table tennis balls with his name on them (that should tell you a lot about this man). After stealing from his uncle’s own safe, Marty ends up going overseas to London to compete and from there begins an absolute roller coaster of a story with him getting into one insane situation after another, as he strives to achieve the success he oh so craves.
I will have to confess to being someone who has yet to have seen the Safdie’s Uncut Gems (very big shame on me, I know), but given what I’ve heard about it, this movie is cut from a similar cloth as that Adam Sandler starrer. While the marketing makes this look like some heroic underdog story about a plucky ping pong player, the actual film actually ends up being more complicated than that, as it really is an anxiety filled roller coaster that follows one of the most narcissistic characters to walk the screen in recent memory as he keeps digging a deeper hole caused by his mistakes. If you cannot stand these kinds of stories, then this will NOT be for you. However, I am able to gravitate towards these kinds of stories if they are told in a way that keeps me invested and that is what Josh Safdie does very well. He and co writer, Ronald Bronstein are able to come up with so many different wild scenarios that make this movie into a surprisingly unpredictable ride that is able to keep one’s consistently with all that is thrown. From just one situation, Marty is able to create new predicaments that will sooner or later come back to haunt him down the line and Safdie deftly alludes to what could happen, while still having a clear focus on what is being presented in the moment. While, Marty himself isn’t exactly a pure heart, there is so much to unpack with him in regards to his insistence on trying to get his way and how he manipulates people into seeing his vision, even when it is a complete lie that I just couldn’t help but be curious as to where his journey ends up as well as what could happen to the other people in his life whom there is more sympathy towards.
It becomes this odyssey that tackles on the idea of the American Dream and the lengths certain people will go to achieve greatness, even if in some cases, true satisfaction may not truly be achieved for one reason or another. Safdie keeps things clipping along at a break neck pace where the the 2 and a half hour runtime flies by like a speeding bullet and we see how each plot point goes down in a satisfying manner. The way the plot flows is like watching a long intricate line of dominoes fall as we witness the choices in Marty’s life coming home with a vengeance. It helps that the script ends up being as enthralling as any of the year’s best action sequences where the dialogue is riveting in how it gets across who these characters are and is just so colorful with some unexpectedly hilarious jokes and how it is deftly able to walk a fine line between so many different moods such as intense, awkward, and dramatic, sometimes all in one scene. It is also key that we are able to buy Marty’s charisma and attempts to get people on his side, so that we can understand why people would find themselves believing or wanting to give him a chance and I think the combination of the script and Chalamet’s performance (more on that later) are able to successfully convey all of that in how they perfectly capture these kinds of liars who exist in real life.
It’s funny how much the Ping Pong angle has been treated as this huge selling point, when it is really only one piece of this intricate puzzle. However, when those scenes do come, just like the rest of the movie Safdie doesn’t pull any punches as far as presenting them in a cool and immersive way. He’s very good at framing these scenes, knowing when to cut back and forth between the different shots whether they are nice long takes of the ball being paddled back and forth or getting up close and personal with the characters to see their differing reactions. It is quite easily the most cinematic translation of this sport to the big screen that I have ever seen, and that not really saying much does not take away from how engaging it all is, especially once we hit the climax. This goes for the entire movie though, which is creatively and coherently edited where the passage of time is easy to follow (crazy how so much insane stuff ends up taking place over a fairly short period of time) and Safdie knowing when to cut from one scene to the next, structuring the story in a way where he knows when to come back around to all of the different plot elements. He is also a master at ratcheting up the anxiety level to the extreme with him and cinematographer, Darius Khondi, doing a great job presenting scenes with a very intimate approach, focusing in on the characters and their various emotions and using shaky cam excellently to make one experience the tumultuous nature of any given scenario (one can really see the sweat dripping off at times, which is just how close Safdie is willing to get).
I also very much enjoy the way he chooses to present certain shots as there is some really good foreshadowing going on in terms of what could occur in future events and they can be quite wild and out there such as an opening credits… that will be one for the ages in my book (will never listen to the song “Forever Young” without thinking of it). The movie on the whole is just a masterclass in technical craftsmanship with much effort being put into making this a visceral experience and I think the production team and costume designers did a remarkable job in bringing the 50s setting to life with with an appropriately old fashioned feel that isn’t afraid to show the grimier sides of the cityscape as well as presenting the higher class environments in a completely opposite view, that it showcases the two sides of Marty’s journey in an effective way. I also adored Daniel Lopatin’s score, which is a perfect example of doing a period piece with modern sensibilities as it is a very dynamic soundtrack in how it combines synth heavy music with more classical orchestrations that manages to infuse the film with a sense of grandness that epitomizes the ambitions of the main character. Definitely one of the best film compositions of 2025 and one that will stick with me for a while.
As I mentioned before, the character of Marty Mouser is one that on the surface, is difficult to get down right as he is written to be purposely unlikable, so a lot of work needs to be done in order to make him worth following for 2 and a half hours. The combination of Safdie’s script and Chalamet’s performance are able to accomplish that goal with the latter putting in tremendous work that shows his immense capabilities as a screen performer. He just pops off the screen like a firecracker, using his movie star charisma in a smart way to make Marty seem like the most genuine and sympathetic individual there is to those around him, when we the audience have seen enough to know that it is all a facade. He delivers his lines in a fast paced manner that always kept me engaged as I was always interested to see how he would get out of certain situations and whether he would succeed. Chalamet is also just able to add a bit more to make Marty more than just a snark machine as there hints of someone who has genuine passion for his craft and wants to be the best at what he does… but due to many reasons (his poor living situation and giant ego), he ends up making the worst possible decision at every turn with very little consideration for those around him. The way things play out in the climax and the very end definitely has a lot one can take away from, making one wonder what the point of his actions all were and whether achieving this supposed level of greatness is actually worth it in the end.
As astounding Chalamet is though, he is surrounded by a murderer’s row of talent that are portraying fully characterized individuals who all have something to them. The most significant one would have to be Odessa A’zion, who plays Marty’s childhood friend and love interest, Rachel, and is excellent in what I believe is her most significant movie role yet. She does a strong job in playing up the sympathy as someone who has genuine feelings for Marty, and is willing to risk so much for him, but slowly starts to question whether he cares for her that way or is using her for his goals. However, Safdie isn’t afraid to portray some of her flaws as she does end up making some questionable decisions, but in a way that can be understandable (if frustrating) given the desperation she is going through at times. Marty also has another love interest in the form of Kay Stone, a retired actress played by Gwyneth Paltrow, who hasn’t been in a movie in quite some time. Paltrow brings a solid dead pan nature to her role and she is written well in a way that one can understand why she gravitates towards this much younger man that she knows is wrong to have sexual attractions to, given her rather unremarkable love life. That being said, I like how as their relationship goes, we end up seeing that she isn’t quite as perfect as she seems to be on the surface and in the end she doesn’t end up meaning too much for Marty beyond as a means to get somewhere better.
Not falling for most of Marty’s BS though is her husband and influential businessman, Milton Rockwell, played by Shark Tank’s very own Kevin O’Leary. While O’Leary is essentially playing himself, in this case that is perfect for this particular role as a ruthless businessman who both has simultaneous respect and resentment for Marty, with the latter becoming more and more prominent with each interaction they have. Every time he would come up onscreen, I would end up laughing, knowing that something was going to go down between him and Marty and that he would not stand for it (talk about intense beef) and honestly given how their first couple interactions go, one can’t really blame him. O’Leary’s facial expressions say it all as he becomes intent on cutting this guy down and reminding him who the bigger boss is, though Safdie is again smart to not make him totally sympathetic as he still ends up being a bit of a scumbag in different ways. It’s a great debut performance for the well known entrepreneur and he’s not the only celebrity to do such a thing here, as Tyler, the Creator pops in as Marty’s friend Wally, a taxi driver whose also a tennis table player himself. He makes the most of his screentime, bringing a level of confidence that he fares him well in getting on the film’s wavelength and he manages to have natural screen chemistry with Chalamet that makes their friendship very believable. He’s also just really funny with perfect comedic timing, while also bringing a certain level of sympathy that makes Wally stand out from most of the other characters. Another favorite of mine is definitely Abel Ferrera who plays a man named Ezra that crosses paths with Marty and I won’t say much more than that as the way things play out with his character kept me on my toes. Ferrera plays a man who has a lot to him and he plays all those notes to a tee with his subplot providing some of the film’s greatest tension and I think the way it all comes into play was expert fully handled as it very well could’ve been out of place, but manages to fit right in with the story. The rest of cast does great work, excelling at getting across the characterizations of their roles so that each part is able to be memorable in its own way and fit with Safdie was going for.
All in all, I found Marty Supreme to be an phenomenal movie that served as among the most engaging pieces of cinema that I have seen in recent memory. It is sharply written, has enthralling dialogue, never lets up the anxiety, is absolutely hilarious in unexpected ways, it is masterfully edited, has interesting themes, is visually amazing, has some outstanding performances, and a cast of characters that each manage to be interesting. Fans of the Safdie’s previous works will love this and if you aren’t turned off by some of the elements present like the unlikability of a lot of the characters, then I think you will be in for a great ride. I have walked out of this movie, now a bigger fan of Chalamet than ever (and I was already fond of him to begin with) and I think this will likely be the defining role of his career (give or take his outstanding portrayal of Paul Atreides in the Dune films). Not much more to say than this is just a banger of a movie, that deserves to be in the awards conversation and its success at the box office and among audiences makes me very happy. You could say that Marty Supreme… is indeed supreme in all the best of ways.
Rating: A+
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