Marty Supreme

A resounding clack echos in the arena as Marty Mauser’s (Timothee Chalamet) paddle hits the pingpong ball when he lunges to hit the final strike that wins him the match. He screams out in his success, walking over to his opponent and shaking his hand with a wide and proud smile. Believing he is the best in the game, his confidence is unwavering. That is until Koto Edno. Catching Marty’s attention across the room, along with the rest of the audience in the arena, he watches as the Japanese prodigy wins his match with skill that rivals Marty’s own. If only for a moment, Marty’s face falls in fear, realizing this new player might actually be a formidable obstacle to his lifelong dream of becoming the world's best table tennis player.

While loosely based on the 1950s table tennis player Marty Reisman, Marty Supreme is a fictional portrayal that adds dramatic flair with a hyperactive, gritty and wild plot of which the twists and turns may make the viewer feel dizzy. Timothee Chalamet delivers a stunning performance of the charismatic and witty Marty Mauser, who swiftly navigates consequential affairs with his married and knocked up best friend Rachel (Odessa A'zion), a washed up movie star (Gwyneth Paltrow), and her powerful business man for a husband (Kevin O'Leary), all while in pursuit of his dream to be the world's best ping pong player. Then there’s a whole situation with a hotel bathtub, his co-hussler Wally (Tyler the Creator), and a scrappy dog with a loving, yet overprotective owner (Abel Ferrara). The events of Marty’s life are constantly shifting, new challenges flying at him as if in a game of table tennis where he only has a split second to angle and pass the ball back to his opponent to keep the game in motion. A game that Marty desperately needs to end with him claiming the World Championship title, beating Endo and proving to everyone that he is the player he believes he is.

Writer and director Josh Safdie has done a wonderful job creating a film that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The erratic and bouncy storyline mimics the game of ping pong and the seemingly random events tie together for an intricate and engaging plot. And with Darius Khondji’s cinematography paired with Daniel Lopatin’s scoring, the fast-paced and overly dramatic tale of Marty Mauser comes together gloriously within this film.

Timothee Chalamet’s excellence elevates the film in a way that can only be accomplished by him, earning himself his best performance yet. In his past films, from Call Me By Your Name to Dune, his characters are almost always reserved and melancholy in their nature. Marty’s character is the opposite, confident to a fault and annoyingly quick witted, definitely a fresh new take for the accomplished Chalamet.

This story curiously combines very specific genres in popularity; caper crime and historic sports dramas. A perfect blend of the dirty and chaotic underbelly of New York City and the personal struggles of an individual in a desperate chase of their own fame and fortune. At its core, the film is the essence of striving for greatness, to believe with a blinding passion and determination that your own abilities will take you where you desire to go. It is an ode to anyone struggling through this mess called life in a pursuit to prove to themselves, and to the world, that they are worthy. Marty Supreme is a beautifully raw and real portrayal of what it means for someone to never give up on achieving their dreams.

- Sierra Branson
Staff Writer