Marty Supreme

Timothée Chalamet once again proves why he's one of the greatest actors of his generation. The range of emotions he displays in this film is absolutely brilliant-the fire in his eyes feels real, raw, and captivating. His chemistry with his costar gwyneth adding an extra layer of depth to the film.

The direction is strong and thoughtful, with beautifully crafted storytelling, sharp dialogue, and writing that keeps you engaged. The narrative itself is layered, intertwining multiple stories that all converge into one powerful journey about pursuing goals and personal greatness. Beneath its surface, the film is rich with values and meaningful insights for those willing to look deeper.

While the story has some imperfections, Timothée Chalamet's performance carries the entire film. For a 2024 production with a likely modest budget, it delivers impressive drama and comedic moments that feel authentic and memorable. This is a must-see film, and I wouldn't be surprised if it becomes a strong Oscar contender.

Timothy Chalomet is excellent as Marty, a 23-year-old Jewish man brought up in the 1950s Jewish ghetto who is a grifter, a hustler, a salesman and happens to be one of the worlds best ping-pong players. The movie moves relentlessly from one situation to another - sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't - as Marty reaches for his dream, meeting along the way different character types that we've seen in many movies. It reminded me of Anora - the frenetic pace that amounted to little though like the Anora actress, Chalomet was game and gave his all. If you liked Anora you'd probably like this.

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.

While the performances are certainly good, and the frenetic and energetic cinematography and spirit of the film is nice, the story itself feels lacking. A young man pursues his dream of becoming a table-tennis champion, and along the way there are challenges. That's pretty much it. Nothing groundbreaking. It's basically a common sports film we've all seen for the umpteenth time made to soothe the masses. Throughout the runtime, I remember thinking that it's both too long and contains things that work. Quite a few times I wondered when the film would conclude.

The film should've been tabled (tennis) for editing. The acting across the board is good and charming, with Chalamet doing all he could here, and Paltrow giving a subtle, winsome turn as a glamorous movie star. But the film does ultimately feel overlong, melodramatic, and quite formulaic. And that's due to the undercooked script. It's just another underdog-aspiring-to-be-a-champion film that just doesn't quite stick its landing. It doesn't feel as inspiring as it aims to be. The action scenes often feel unearned and like they were added in solely for shock value rather than feeling organic. And the subject matter, table-tennis, is not in itself all that compelling. While yes, the way the sport scenes are filmed is engaging and dynamic, and it's in these scenes where the cinematography shines, ultimately you're kind of just watching a guy hit a ball back and forth across tables. The main character is ornery and isn't really likeable and is rather immature for much of the film, which can be hard to watch. There is a silly scene involving a paddle and a butt that felt really contrived, anachronistic, and out of place.

When the film ended, I remembered thinking, is that it? And, I don't want to spoil things, but when you see the ending you'll understand: it sort of misses the mark. It's all just so predictable. Bigger swings, pun intended, could've been taken here to make the film less generic.

I did enjoy that the film felt sort of deliberate at times. A number of characters are played by actors who themselves are in a way, the characters they play. For instance, you have O'Leary, a real-life businessman, portraying a businessman; and Kawaguchi, a real-life table-tennis player, portraying a table-tennis player. This choice brought the film a kind of verisimilitude that was an interesting choice. Further, it isn't afraid to poke fun at American entitlement, stereotypical Jewish avarice and miserliness, and the gritty reality of how the American Dream isn't necessarily all it's cracked up to be. There are some touching and funny moments sprinkled throughout the film. And the music and cinematography are nice.

Overall, the film is just alright to maybe slightly above average. Charming performances, nice visuals, and some interesting commentary carry the film.

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.