Marty Supreme Movie Review

Since their breakout in 2017, the Safdie Brothers have specialised in smaller scale films with a razor-sharp edge. Their core formula involving placing morally dubious characters in dicey yet enthralling circumstances. This time Josh Safdie has struck out on his own with Marty Supreme, another brilliant showcase of the director’s talents.

Set in the 1950s America, we follow Marty Mauser (Timothée Chalamet), a young and deeply arrogant table-tennis star who goes for the championship title. After a brutal loss to his Japanese rival Koto Endo (Koto Kawaguchi), the sore loser becomes hell-bent on rectifying the damage to his reputation. What follows is pure mayhem, a series of chaotic shenanigans that will leave you wondering just how Marty will get himself out of his own mess. Once the first table-tennis tournament is over, the film officially begins as the protagonist desperately tries to scrounge up the money to go to Tokyo for a rematch. The rapid pace never lets up and what makes the film so entertaining is how many insane situations come to fruition. One moment Marty and his girlfriend Rachel Mizler (Odessa A’zion) are trying to extort money to return a lost dog and the next they’re on the run from the law. Marty is constantly smooth-talking his slimy sponsor Milton Rockwell (Kevin O’Leary) while sweet-talking Milton’s wife Kay Stone (Gwyneth Paltrow) on the side which results in even wilder moments. The sense of escalation and the way basic conversations devolve into full-blown rage is presented vividly, leaving Marty (and by extension the audience) no room to relax.

Marty himself is thoroughly unlikeable, a cocky and rude manipulator who treads on so many to salvage his damaged ego and achieve his ultimate goal. Yet despite all of his nefarious deeds we still root for him regardless, waiting for him to take a breath of relief. Timothée does a phenomenal job with Marty’s fast-talking mannerisms; you really do believe that he can talk, lie and cheat his way out of any situation. That’s something that can be said about every character in Marty Supreme; they are all aggressively pursuing their own interests in some way which adds even more twists and turns to the narrative. Rachel is dealing with an abusive partner throughout the film, Kay is frustrated with both her acting career and marriage and other table-tennis players who challenge Marty are left with empty pockets. Gwyneth Paltrow and Odessa A’zion both succeed at capturing stress and frustration in equal measure. We even have a memorable and charismatic appearance from Tyler the Creator who delivers a riotous sequence with a taxi and some very angry patrons. Some of the side characters feel a bit too brief, most notably Géza Röhrig as Bela Kletzki. This fellow table-tennis player could have had a larger role to play in Marty’s escapades, but there isn’t a single weak link in the cast.

Everything is tied together by a continued precision in cinematography and wider technical details. The characters are often framed in extreme close-ups, planting us directly in their obsessive mind-sets. From the destruction of a hotel bathroom to a flamboyant tennis hall, the set pieces are incredibly varied and engaging. Even with all the madness that takes place, the camera is clearly focused on the characters and the mishaps they find themselves in. While the film takes us back to an older period, the soundtrack and atmosphere are still sublime. Often the music and lighting will fully immerse the audience into a scene as it opens, providing a brief interlude before the pacing picks up again. There’s a heavy focus on synths throughout and the licensed tracks also rise to the occasion with the likes of Alphaville, Peter Gabriel, New Order and Public Image Ltd filling out the scenes.

Just like previous films from the Safdie brothers, Marty Supreme delivers a stressful and deeply arresting experience. With brilliant performances from everyone involved, absorbing presentation and more twists than the fastest rollercoaster, you’ll be thrilled and flabbergasted in equal measure. If you’re willing to take the nail-biting tension, you shouldn’t miss this production.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars (Brilliant)