Marty Supreme

It's the same beat over and over pounded onto the screen. Chalamet is amazing as always, but this character is so unlikable and mean spirited. I didn't find it enjoyable to watch someone walk all over other people for his own gain. The final scenes felt contrived and seemed to ask the audience to forgive too much.

I was exhausted by the end.

Films about underdogs who eagerly aspire to be champions are among the biggest crowd-pleasers in today's movie industry. There's something about watching a story in which an indisputable hopeful does whatever it takes to come out on top (even if that sometimes calls for occasionally bending, or even breaking, the rules), prompting viewers to pull for the would-be victor in the face of such hardships. However, there comes a point where the contender's actions might be called into question, either by going too far or by exhibiting a degree of confidence that verges on arrogance or conceit. Does someone like that still make for a suitable role model? Is that kind of "inspiration" something to be emulated? Or does this represent the rise of a bona fide bad boy? Those are the questions raised in this solo project from writer-director Josh Safdie, one-half of the Safdie Brothers moviemaking duo. Loosely based on the life of colorful American table tennis star Marty Reisman, who rose to prominence in the sport in the 1950s, the film tells the story of Marty Mauser (Timothée Chalamet), a character patterned after his real life counterpart. At a time when table tennis is largely looked on in the US as a home-based pastime -- very much in contrast to its immense popularity as a competitive, legitimate sport in Asia and elsewhere -- Mauser aspires to be a world champion, a goal aimed at making "ping pong" something taken more seriously stateside. However, given the sport's lightweight reputation in America at the time, he has trouble securing financial backing for his efforts, leading him to engage in an array of questionable funding arrangements. What's more, he doesn't help his own case much, either, frequently alienating officials in the sport, as well as potentially influential backers, such as a wealthy pen manufacturer (Kevin O'Leary), partly by his behavior and otherwise with his smug, sarcastic attitude and ample capacity as a pathological liar. Mauser also makes some dubious personal choices, such as having an affair with a Hollywood actress seeking to resuscitate her flailing career (Gwyneth Paltrow) (who, by the way, just happens to be his would-be sponsor's trophy wife) at the same time that he has unwittingly fathered a child with a lifelong friend (Odessa A'zion) who's married to a hothead abusive husband (Emory Cohen). And that's just the tip of the proverbial iceberg of his bad behavior. Mauser is, in no uncertain terms, a hustler of the first order who doesn't always think through his schemes before acting on them. To be sure, Mauser's story is a genuinely entertaining (albeit somewhat overlong) tale, full of laughs, great sports action sequences and one of the most impressive (i.e., not annoying) performances by Chalamet. Despite those strengths, though, is the protagonist someone that parents would want their children to look up to? Personally, I find that a rather questionable choice for the subject of a big screen film. While the protagonist's objective is a noble one, the story told here is also a potent cautionary tale, one that raises many questions about the ends justifying the means. In light of that, then, "Marty Supreme" is one of those releases that must be taken with a full shaker of salt while assessing its content. It might well amuse, but it should also give viewers pause to reflect on the kinds of individuals we admire as heroes, especially where the impressionable among us are concerned. Indeed, watch wisely.

This movie makes no sense, but the director and editor keep things moving at such a frantic pace that the viewer doesn't have time to ask, "what exactly is going on here?" or "why is this scene in this movie?" It reminded me of a minor Scorsese movie from 1985, AFTER HOURS, in which the protagonist got mixed up with crooks and spent a lot of time running from them. There is a lot going on in this movie, but they are for the most part unrelated to the alleged plot. Chalamet plays a character who is a so-called professional ping-pong player who has to actually make his money as a shoe salesman. He lives with relatives in a rather shabby apartment. He owes money to virtually everybody. He also has a pregnant girlfriend he is trying to pass off as his sister. But he wants to get to Japan to play in a highly publicized game of ping-pong and win a huge monetary prize. He hangs out in a sleazy bar where minor-league hoodlums play ping pong instead of pool. (I've never heard of such a place. Have you?) He has also "invented" an orange ping pong ball. (This never fits into the plot.) He somehow worms his way into the life of Gwyneth Paltrow, who is a has-been actress trying to make a comeback. She has a rich husband who is backing her career. Chalamet meets her husband and talks him into promoting the game of ping pong and giving him the money to get to Japan to participate in the tournament. But there's a catch (the husband is a sleaze): In order to get the money, he has to play some rigged games first and lose, like TV Wrestling or Roller Derby. He also has sex with the actress (who is at least 20 years his senior) at night on the ground in Central Park. (She's a classy dame.) Somehow, he becomes involved with a dog named Moses that gangsters are fighting over for some mysterious reason. The director keeps adding new complications. But "situation" is not "plot." It ultimately adds up to nothing. There is also a lot of violence, as well as humiliation games. It's all rather pointless, even though the director pumps up the action like it was INDIANA JONES. The actors, bless 'em, give it their all and do fine work, especially Paltrow. The audience was ready to cheer at the end and they did enthusiastically. I can only attribute it to conditioning. It's hard to know which is the more over-hyped movie of 2025, this one or HAMNET.

Like Marty, the film that bears his name has no heart. It's all plot, no story. A runaway Rube Goldberg machine that keeps the character conning and the camera charging through relationships, conventions, and common sense, only to leave the audience behind to sift through the debris for the film's emotional point or purpose.

Safdie's talent and style is evident throughout. He's a good, highly kinetic director. And Chalamet has probably never been better. He's an actor who shows no fear and here he embraces Marty's shamelessness and cruelty with glee.

Unfortunately, it's all in service to an overstuffed and overlong shaggy dog story (with an actual shaggy dog) that rinses and repeats Marty's callousness in incident after incident that batters, and frankly, bores. The character never stops moving or talking, but ends up standing still. His ping-pong shots have an arc, but he doesn't. And the completely unearned finale, despite what the writers might believe, doesn't lend him one.

This is Catch Me If You Can without the joie de vivre. The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner without the rebellion. It glitters and shines and catches the eye, but it's not another uncut gem. It's costume jewelry.

Marty Supreme is a fantastic piece of filmmaking by director Josh Safdie. He is a filmmaker I've long admired for the projects he made with his brother, especially Uncut Gems and Good Time. This marks the first film I've seen that he has directed on his own, and he absolutely knocked it out of the park. Safdie's confident direction and sharp/quick storytelling abilities are on full display here. Here's why I loved this movie so much and why I believe it stands as one of the very best films of 2025

Marty Supreme is a film about Marty Mauser, played by Timothée Chalamet, who dreams of becoming a table tennis champion. Set in 1952 New York, Marty balances his job as a shoe salesman with competing in ping-pong tournaments. He travels to London for the British Open, where he faces off against various opponents and from there, it becomes a series of one stressful scene after another. The energy this film has makes its two and a half hour runtime breeze by. That is my favourite type of filmmaking, when a film is so good while not ever giving you a chance to catch your breath.

One thing some people may complain about is just how unlikeable Marty is as a character, but for me, that's exactly what makes the film so engaging. Timothée Chalamet gives a performance that completely pulls you in while also making you actively dislike him. I genuinely didn't like Marty as a person, yet I still found myself rooting for him in a strange way. That push and pull adds a lot of tension and keeps the story compelling. All of this is elevated by sharp editing choices and top-notch pacing throughout the film.

There are several twists that genuinely caught me off guard, especially in a film where I wasn't expecting many surprises. The movie is endlessly entertaining thanks to its relentless, kinetic energy. This very well could be the performance that earns Timothée Chalamet his first Oscar, and I believe the film deserves all the Best Picture praise it has been receiving. I haven't experienced a movie quite like this in 2025, and in terms of pacing, it feels like a perfect blend of Uncut Gems and The Social Network. I can't recommend this one enough.