FILM REVIEW
MARTY SUPREME
Rated R
150 Minutes
Released December 25th
Get ready to run and run and run – you’ll feel it physically and emotionally as you experience Marty Supreme. The movie is loosely based on the true story of Marty Reisman, a self-made table tennis champion in early 1950’s New York City. Timothy Chalamet’s character “Marty Mauser” recalls Sydney Sweeney’s “Christy.” Both actors usually play physically beautiful roles which are slightly off balance, but they can trade on their looks as part of their power. Neither role mentioned above is hot or romantic, but as we watch those films, we grow invested in them.
Marty’s choices in this story are excruciating but understandable given his circumstances. You root for him to choose actions that will lead him to succeed, but his life is like a Three Stooges movie. Every decision he makes, usually a split-second one, leads him into further calamity. What guides Marty through his ever more chaotic and complicated crises, to the detriment of anyone or anything involved in his life, is his focus on his North Star, the table tennis championships in Japan. Giving depth to a sometimes-choppy narrative rhythm is the highly original musical score by Daniel Lopatin, a combination of symphonic music, popular songs, and sounds. One quiet scene is punctuated by melodic beats that sound like a chorus of frogs.
The environment of post-World-War-II New York City is accurately represented in the location shots of stores, transportation, apartments, offices, and streets, in character interchanges that we would consider rude and prejudiced today. The perceived submissive place of women in the home and society is illustrated, although some of the strongest characters in this movie are female. The setting of early ‘50’s NYC looks detailed and genuine, though I would like to have seen more immersion in the social and environmental elements. Fran Descher and Sandra Bernhard have cameos that provide local color.
This is Josh Safdie’s first film without his brother Benny as co-director. The two decided to pursue solo careers in 2024. He has collaborated with writer Ronald Bronstein to write and edit Marty Supreme. Josh was born and raised in NYC, spending part-time with his dad in Queens and part with his mom and stepdad in Manhattan, so he truly knows the city.
This appears to be a passion project for Timothee Chalamet, who grew up in Hell’s Kitchen in Manhattan, son of a French father who is a UNICEF editor and a mother who was a dancer and now is a real estate broker. At the age of 30, Chalamet has already built a stellar career, which began in 2009 with small roles in TV and film and now features him as an internationally sought-after star. Most of his roles have been edgy and introspective, and his rise has not always been easy. He did commercials as a kid and hated that. As with most actors, Chalamet auditioned for many projects at the beginning of his career with no callbacks. Luckily for us, he never gave up. His breakout role was “Elio” in Call Me by Your Name in 2017.
One of the highlights of Marty Supreme is the performance of Odessa A’Zion as “Rachel Mizler,” Marty’s impassioned girlfriend whose importance seems to be constantly minimized. She has the face and eyes of classic Greek tragedy going for her, and a strong TV resume, appearing on Fam, Ghosts, Grand Army, and in the film Hellraiser (2022). A’Zion’s mom is actor/writer/producer/director Pamela Adlon, whose work I love from Californication and Better Things. A’Zion has promise for a great career in film and TV.
Another actor who stands out is Kevin O’Leary, who happens to be one of the producers in Shark Tank. In his first acting gig in this film, O’Leary plays as a bigoted 1950’s business executive and has one of the most memorable scenes, which involves a spanking. Gwyneth Paltrow also has some great scenes with Chalamet as Marty’s socialite paramour. There is little development of her character, but she shines in the role.
Life imitates art in the movie’s marketing. As if still in character as Marty, Chalamet has mounted a personal marketing campaign frenzy on all forms of media. It’s a publicity war. He has stood on top of the Las Vegas sphere, shot a rap video about the film, had an orange blimp created reading Marty Supreme that roams the skies, and he shows up to screenings with giant orange ping pong balls. He has raised expectations about the film exponentially, rather than letting audiences discover it and mount a word-of-mouth campaign.
The movie suffers from lack of strong character development, but certainly not from the enthusiasm the filmmakers have brought to it. Chalamet said in his appearance on the Jimmy Fallon Show, “This is a movie about sacrifice in pursuit of a dream. And it’s something I can relate to deeply. And we live in a bleak time, especially for young people, so this film is an attempted antidote for that…to continue to believe in yourself and to continue to dream big…and not take no for an answer.” That said by an actor seems who has a breathless intensity to his work, as if being pursued by an unimaginable force.
Kathryn Whitney Boole has spent most of her life in the entertainment industry, which has been the backdrop for remarkable adventures with extraordinary people. She is a Talent Manager with Studio Talent Group in Santa Monica. kboole@gmail.com
