Perhaps you’ve heard of “Marty Supreme,” not just because it’s A24’s latest addition to a stacked resume of 2020s hit films, but because star Timothee Chalamet has been taking part in one of the most extravagant marketing rollouts in recent memory. From being the first person to ever stand on top of the Las Vegas Sphere, to having his signature Marty Supreme jacket worn by some of the most famous celebrities on Earth, Chalamet has gone all in on filling as many seats as he can (which he has successfully done, so far).
It’s not only on brand for his character — a narcissistic, snarky New Yorker who would do anything to win the 1952 table tennis world championship — but on brand for his commitment to the role. Director Josh Safdie, who returns to A24 for the first time since co-directing the critically acclaimed “Uncut Gems,” revealed that Chalamet temporarily impaired his vision with contact lenses just so that he could wear real prescription glasses on set. On top of that, the “Dune” star has been honing his table tennis skills for the past seven years, and did actually get spanked on his bare butt by Kevin O’Leary, who may ring a bell as the guy from “Shark Tank.”
This all builds up to my biggest takeaway from the film: Timothee Chalamet is the best actor in the world right now. It’s not crazy to have a protagonist that you’re supposed to hate, but Chalamet does an excellent job of giving you just enough of his signature charm to not totally be against his character, Marty Mauser. And I hate to say that, because this is definitely a guy you should hate, and don’t let anybody tell you otherwise.
On one hand, you’ve got a guy who physically and emotionally disregards everybody around him; constantly breaking the law, making jokes about World War II victims and telling the love of his life that she has no purpose; and you hate him for it. But on the other side of things, you see the level of Mauser’s talent and begin to truly believe that he can win the world championship, forcing you to cheer for him because there is a crumb of validity in all of his actions (except for the WWII jokes). His justification for all of his heinous acts is that he’ll fix his damages once he wins the money from the world championship. Though it doesn’t excuse constantly committing crimes, it does kind of make you want to cheer for him; if not for his sake, then for the sake of every person he hurts along the way. There aren’t many actors who could’ve taken such a terrible personality and still convince me to root for him. Whether it was because he charmed me with his obnoxious banter, or convinced me that he’s the best table tennis player alive with the sheer determination in his voice, Chalamet really captivated me in the best way possible.
And though it doesn’t really matter, there is a serious conversation to be had about the true character of Mauser. Obviously, actions speak louder than words, and Mauser’s actions scream that he’s a terrible person. However, when Mauser is presented with opportunities where his table tennis dream isn’t affected, he shows a lot of genuine humanity. It garners the question: is he really a bad guy? Or is he just a good guy whose circumstances and desire to have purpose has led him to extreme measures? I lean toward the latter, but it doesn’t really matter, because yes, actions still do speak louder than words.
Another note is that this cast is insane. Past Chalamet, Safdie somehow got Gwyneth Paltrow to put down the candles and come back for her first starring role in over 10 years – fittingly, her character, Kay Stone, is a former movie star that comes back from hiatus to star in a play. He also cast Tyler Okonma (who you most likely know as Tyler, The Creator) for his feature film debut; he was electric as Wally, Mauser’s partner in crime in hustling the streets of New York City. And I already mentioned that Kevin O’Leary was in this; he basically got to be the worst version of himself in his acting debut as Milton Rockwell, businessman and husband of Stone.
The casting itself is pretty fascinating too. More than half of the actors weren’t even actors, including Okonma and O’Leary. To name a few more, criminal Ezra Mishkin was played by filmmaker Abel Ferrara, businessman Christopher Galanis was played by billionaire John Catsimatidis, club owner Lawrence is played by NBA legend George Gervin and table tennis champion Koto Endo is played by real table tennis champion Koto Kawaguchi.
To surround Chalamet and Paltrow with a cast of first-time actors is a bold choice, but everybody shows up and fits their role perfectly. The acting in this movie was really fun, and I found just about every character uniquely charming.
Overall though, the real conclusion of the movie is that it’s simply a good time. Just when it feels like you can catch your breath or when you think that something’s going to work out, you’re hit with one hilarious gut punch after another. If you’re watching and thinking to yourself, “Well, that was crazy,” strap yourself in because it’s only going to get more insane. Over and over, the action goes from 100 to 0 and back to 100. There wasn’t a second of the movie where I knew how it would end. And the end that the movie did eventually come to felt very full-circle. Sure, it left questions, mostly pertaining to the fact that Mauser was still a wanted criminal, but it managed to serve as a lesson against being selfishly caught up in your own ambitions, while still giving a happy ending for Mauser and his family.
Chalamet’s magnum-opus. Thought-provoking. Wild. “Marty Supreme.” 9/10.
“Marty Supreme” is rated ‘R’ and may not be suitable for all ages.
