Marty Supreme

The acting is a tour de fource (feat of strength). Oscar performances by Chalamet, A'zion, Paltrow. Kept us on the edge of our seats. High energy. Realistic portrayal of reaching the American dream. Believeable depiction of women. Spot on casting and writing. Can be seen as a "sports" movie. Would like to see again.

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.

Marty Supreme (2025) is a sports comedy drama movie co-written and directed by Josh Safdie of the Safdie Brothers and it is loosely inspired by the life and career of American table tennis player Marty Reisman. This is a movie I heard about a couple of months ago and it inspired me to binge through the filmography of the Safdie Brothers and it was a fun ride for me. I just finished watching this movie an hour ago and this is the best movie from the Safdie Brothers or in this case, Josh Safdie.

Positives for Marty Supreme (2025): For a movie based on a guy who played ping pong, Josh Safdie did a phenomenal job with crafting one of the best stories of 2025. It helps that Timothee Chalamet gives one of if not his best performances as Marty Mauser, who is a cocky jackass when you meet him and cares about nothing but be the best at ping pong and somehow Chalamet makes you root for this guy and you want to see him become a good person, while also trying to achieve his goal in life. I also have to say that Gwyneth Paltrow was great as Kay Stone, who is a jackass except much worse than Marty, but she is also very captivating as a character and you want to see her change and see the errors in her ways and her relationship with Marty. However, the biggest surprise in this and every movie in 2025 was Odessa A'zion as Rachel Mizler. This is a woman who I was introduced in a show called Fam (2019) and has shown up in other movies, but this was a star making performance for her and one that is deserving of Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars. She is the thing in Marty's life that gets him to change as he genuinely cares for her and wants to be a better person and their dynamic was the glue that held this movie together. You get other great supporting roles with Kevin O'Leary as Milton Rockwell, Tyler Okonma as Wally, Abel Ferrara as Ezra Mishkin and Fran Drescher as Rebecca Mauser, who help contribute something to the story that makes it feel more engaging for the audience. The ping pong games are surprisingly awesome and this is a sport that I don't really care about, but man Josh Safdie manage to make me care about this sport. And finally, the ending is so heartwarming and a satisfying conclusion to the journey for Marty Mauser as he overcomes his cocky attitude and becomes a better man in life.

Overall, Marty Supreme (2025) is a top tier movie from Josh Safdie as well as one of the best movies of 2025 and I hope to see some nominations at the Oscars for this movie especially for Chalamet and A'zion because they have earned them.

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.

I swear some of these people watched a different movie. If you don't feel emotion from watching people in situations and need to dip your cock in double entendres/ "Elevated" cinema, it's probably not for you. The only thing this film asks from you is to care. The point of the movie was to EXPERIENCE Marty's drive to A SINGULAR GOAL and watch him find a new goal at the very end. I could have Amazing display of emotion from Timothy. And the ending man perfection.