Film Review: Marty Supreme

Welcome back to the blog readers. Now that I am approaching the three-year anniversary of this blog, there should at this point be a small group of people who do not know at this point that I love Timothée Chalamet. While I may or may not be joking about him being the love of my life (we will never know), I really do believe he will be the next Daniel Day-Lewis. With this oddball film being his next film, would it move him closer or further from my proclamation? Stick around to find out.

Marty Supreme was directed by Josh Safdie from a screenplay by Safdie and Ronald Bronstein. The film stars Timothée Chalamet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Odessa A'zion, Kevin O'Leary, Tyler Okonma, Abel Ferrara, and Fran Drescher. The film, loosely based on the life and career of table tennis player Marty Reisman, follows a table tennis player named Marty Mauser that goes on a self-destructive odyssey to prove that he can be the best table tennis player in the world.

Because of the lead, you knew I would be seated for this film opening weekend. I had to delay it a few days because of illness and the weather, but best believe if my boy's name is on the poster I will be there. Besides, this looked like a film that could be great and not just because it was smack dab in awards season. With expectations high, I ventured out in the frigid temperatures and treated myself to a truly fantastic film. I loved the performances (especially from Chalamet and A'zion), the score, the cinematography, and the writing of the film.

If you somehow have no idea what is about to happen, you are adorable yet foolish. It is now time to talk about the performance of Timothée Chalamet. Ever since I saw him in Little Women (2019), I knew that he was going to be special, and special he has become. He is now a two-time Academy Award nominee and at the height of his powers right now, and this film is another worthy installment in Chalamet's filmography. As Marty Mauser, Chalamet completely embodies the asshole table tennis player that will quite literally do anything to advance and succeed. You can feel the vitriol that he has for the world and how he will not stop until he is the best. I have liked to loved all of his characters, but Chalamet makes you hate Marty at every turn. By this time next month, I suspect we will be talking about him being a three-time Academy Award nominee, because the love of my life for sure is getting nominated for this.

When I first heard about this film and who was in it, I could not believe it. Gwyneth Paltrow (who may or may not remember half the people in this film by the time the Oscars are over), singer/rapper Tyler, the Creator, former SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher, and Shark Tank (2009-) personality Kevin O'Leary, and Odessa A'zion blew them all out of the water in my opinion. As Rachel Mizler, A'Zion brings a sort of grace to the performance that I did not expect to see from her (since I have never seen her in anything prior to this film). When Mizler turns up the heat in the second half of the film, A'zion becomes just as chaotic as Chalamet does, and the two of them have impeccable chemistry. She is a real long-shot to be nominated for Best Supporting Actress, but I would not be surprised if this was the case a month from now. She was that good.

The next thing I want to talk about with this film has to do with the score. Daniel Lopatin is the man behind the instruments for this film, and the man also known as Oneohtrix Point Never. He has worked with the Safdie brothers before, scoring Uncut Gems (2019), and he really knows how to add a regality to a score. Fuck man, he did it again. I fucking loved his score because he absolutely brings it. Every feasible thing that I could feel for a bombastic score, I felt. From operatic instrumentals to a chorus that adds a bravado I never imagined it could have, Lopatin's score truly is one of the best of the year and it will go down as a frontrunner for Best Original Score.

Next up on the chopping block is going to be the cinematography. This film's cinematographer is Darius Khondji, who has done films such as Panic Room (2002), Midnight in Paris (2011), Okja (2017), Uncut Gems, and Mickey 17 (2025), so you know that he has been around for a while. Khondji brings something to this film that not many cinematographers would have been able to pull off. He allows for Safdie's vision to come to life in a chaotic, yet beautiful way, and I would not have it any other way. Whether the camera is up close to the characters or following them down a street (walking or running), the cinematography of Marty Supreme is some of the best of the year and Khondji should get nominated for a third Academy Award.

And finally, I want to talk about the writing of the film. Director Josh Safdie is behind the writer's room, along with Ronald Bronstein, and the writing of this film is an absolute slam dunk. In a way, the writing of the film does feel grandiose and large-scale, but you do have to remember the film really revolves around one man and his odyssey to be the best, no matter the cost. Safdie and Bronstein understand the themes of superiority, privilege, and narcissism extremely well, and they bring to life one of the most hated (in a good way) but best characters of the year.

In conclusion, Marty Supreme is an oddball odyssey about a man willing to do whatever it takes, and it is not afraid to pull at your emotions. Thank you all for reading, and I will see you for the next post.