Marty Supreme Review
Any sports underdog story might follow the same narrative structure of ups and downs that are meant to compel you. Yet, it almost seems like every one of these films feels the same, in both tone and format. For the Safdies, however, they’ve twisted the genre on top of itself with two films, both of which are under A24’s umbrella. The first of these, Benny Safdie’s The Smashing Machine, was close to success, but couldn’t reach the peak it wanted to get to. Fortunately, with Josh Safdie’s Marty Supreme, it not only puts A24 back in the running this awards season, but also delivers a powerfully passionate story about ambition, toxicity, and perseverance.
Slightly based on the real life of tennis player Marty Reisman, Marty Supreme is ingrained in rugged Americana culture as it is in capitalistic predation. It follows Marty Mauser (Timothée Chalamet), a ping pong champion who, despite his shaky economic status back home, seeks to live life to the fullest. On his journey, he comes across Kay Stone (Gwyneth Paltrow), a once-famous film star whose husband, the affluent Milton (Kevin O’Leary), can fulfill Marty’s dream. However, back home in New York, Marty’s longtime friend Rachel (Odessa A’zion), hopes to find love with him.
It should go without saying that Marty Supreme is unlike any sports film that’s released in the past few years. This isn’t your typical sports drama flick: the “hero” is unabashedly out for himself for the most part, pulling on everyone around him to put himself on top. From the get-go, once Marty gets into that first world championship, he throws himself too much out there like a baller by trying to get into the “rich” suites and even demanding a rematch with his competition from Japan’s champion, Koto Endo (Koto Kawaguchi).
Under that abrasiveness, it’s in his strategically persuasive personality that makes Marty an extremely charming character. Chalamet does an exquisite job in trying to overexaggerate Marty’s potential, allowing the tides of faith and destiny to push his career and connections forward. Through his performance, Chalamet accentuates the hustling of late 1930s American society in a way that doesn’t just show his inner struggle, but also Marty’s deep attachment to himself in this selfish way.ye
It’s why Marty’s such a compelling character to follow as the ways he swerves around his problems drive forward this incredibly compelling story. Safdie and his co-writer, Ronald Bronstein, really make the consequences of Marty’s slickness hit hard on a deeply personal level. This mostly shows through the relationship he slowly comes to make with Kay, who bounces off Marty’s calculated charisma to create a fun, yet grounded, dynamic. Kay is someone who wants to regain that appreciation for her work, something that’s poignantly seen during her performance, and Marty’s there to fill that void (in his own self-centered way.)
Fortunately, Safdie doesn’t try to make a love triangle out of this as Marty’s dynamic with Rachel is on an entirely different level. Rachel wants to escape from her irate husband, Ira, and does anything she can to get Marty to win his heart. Though she looms around in the first act, the second act propels her into this film’s most dire situation, which is also due to Marty only looking out for himself in a comical way. From a pregnancy that Marty dismisses as his own to her intense confrontations with a dog-loving gangster that hunts both of them, Rachel helps root Marty back into the reality that he wants to escape from. Marty’s free-loading best friend Wally (Tyler Okonma aka Tyler the Creator) also joins in on the chaos of everything that’s happening, which allows for some more fun like the two copping out some New Jersey boys for ping pong bets.
However, in the midst of it all, Safdie and Bronstein are able to capture something much deeper than plain selfishness. Marty isn’t consumed to keep everything to himself, but wants others to believe him so he can be their hero. It’s why his other friend Dion, and his economically bullish father Christopher (John Catsimatidis), believe in Marty’s cause through all the orange-balled merch. It’s why Marty’s relatives, his mom Rebecca (Fran Drescher) and uncle, are still holding out hope even though they still hold on to their reservations. Simply put, Marty keeps himself together so that he can live up to the promises with the dream he’s got even if his self-destructive personality screws things up.
The general aesthetics of Marty Supreme are also something to feel proud of. It’s reminiscent of Uncut Gems, but in its own sluggish, grimy way that does a great job emphasizing that “realist” perspective on things. Darius Khondji’s cinematography brings an energetic vibe to things, whether it be those closely coordinated matches to the hilarious, if worrying, chase scenes to Marty’s confrontational moments. There’s just this incredible vibrancy to the film, all enhanced with the 35mm format to give the film that roughness.
Marty Supreme is a genuinely enthralling and gripping masterpiece of a film that shakes the genre completely, much due to Timothée Chalamet’s amazing performance. With everything that Safdie, Chalamet, and the entire team have going for them, this film certainly lives up to the wild hype and its huge budget that A24’s been looking for.
Marty Supreme releases in theaters on December 25.
Rating: ★★★★★
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Christopher Gallardo is a freelance entertainment writer and critic. While not running The Reel Roller, Chris can be found writing reviews and breakdowns on all things films and TV. Outside of entertainment writing, he’s currently taking classes for a Bachelor’s of Science with a minor in Digital Media & Journalism. Plus, he loves Percy Jackson, animated films and shows, and Fallout! Follow Christopher on Instagram & X.