Marty Supreme (2025)

I’ve been a fan of Timothée Chalamet for a while now. From his work in Call Me by Your Name, Lady Bird, Little Women, A Complete Unknown, Wonka, Beautiful Boy, the Dune films, the guy just always delivers. And once again, I got to see him turn in a masterful performance in Marty Supreme. Chalamet has played a number of different characters over the years and the one he played in this flick, just proves that he’s one of the best actors out there right now. I don’t know what other character he hasn’t played yet but whatever his next role is, I’m sure he’ll knock it out of the park like he always does. And , that’s exactly what he did here. It took me a while to figure out exactly what to say about this flick because it felt like it was going by so fast, I wasn’t sure I was ever going to find the words to describe it. I’m still not too sure if I know the exact words to put into it but as I’m sure I’ve mentioned before, I always enjoy a good challenge. I have more to add to this nerve-racking experience, so let’s step into the chaos.

     Chalamet stars as Marty Mauser, a charismatic and wildly ambitious young man in 1950’s New York who dreams of making a name for himself—and his beloved sport of table tennis—against all odds. As he hustles his way through competitions, colorful relationships, and chaotic schemes, his relentless drive both propels him forward and reveals the cost of chasing greatness. And I must say, witnessing all of that on screen was one of the most stressful experiences I’ve had at the movies in a while. If there’s one thing I’m all for, it’s a film that stresses me out way more than trying to figure out the right thing to say to somebody. Then again, this doesn’t really come as a surprise, since it was written, produced, and directed by Josh Safdie, and the guy really knows how to keep up the pace in a story and be insanely chaotic all at once. The rest of the cast did a pretty good job, too. It includes Gwyneth Paltrow, Odessa A’zion, Larry ‘Ratso’ Sloman, Tyler the Creator, Luke Manley, and a whole lot of other people who turn in great performances every time they show up on screen. This film is actually loosely based on the true story of the real-life ping-pong hustler Marty Reisman. I don’t know how much of it is accurate and I know many of the characters are fictionalized but I still found the experience to be more gripping than my own special interests. I don’t know how much more I can say about this movie that hasn’t already been said but I know for damn sure that Chalamet is probably going to receive another Oscar nomination for it. Who knows, he might even win this time. And judging by the way he was able to embed himself into his character, that wouldn’t shock me.

     I’m not sure I could see myself watching this film a second time but I don’t mean that in a bad way. It’s a very good watch, it’s just a super intense one as well. Having said that, it was a pleasure to witness how powerful Chalamet’s screen presence is, especially now that I know he had been training in table tennis for 6-7 years to prepare for this role. If that’s not dedication, I don’t know what is. Overall, I would give this film a 9 out of 10. If you’re a fan of Timothée Chalamet and you want to see him in another different part that demonstrates the genius of his talent, then I’d definitely recommend checking this out in the theater if you haven’t already. Uncomfortable, compelling, and impossible to ignore.