2025 has been the year of Safdie. Following their split, Benny and Josh Safdie made individual feature films. First was Benny's The Smashing Machine, a Mark Kerr biopic starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Now, we have Josh's Timothée Chalamet-led Marty Supreme, a ping-pong — sorry, table tennis — movie.
Even if the movies aren't necessarily comparable, it was inevitable that fans of their work would see both to determine which brother was more influential. Watching Marty Supreme and The Smashing Machine, it's clear that both brothers have unique individual strengths that also blend well together.
Benny does a great job with the camera work during the fight scenes in his MMA drama. Josh heightens tension and the drama much like the Safdie brothers' crime dramas Good Time and Uncut Gems.
Then, there's Chalamet, who adds another great performance to his ever-growing resumé. His performance as a charismatic (and potentially narcissistic) hustler fits perfectly into the Safdie canon.
Is it perfect? Absolutely not. At 149 minutes, Marty Supreme may be a little long in the tooth, but it's a hoot that manages the stress-inducing rhythm better than something like Uncut Gems, which may have over-indulged in the thrills.
In all honesty, Marty Supreme represents ping-pong as a sport. While ping-pong is highly entertaining, particularly during the Olympics, it's not as popular as something like American football. In a sense, Chalamet's Marty Mauser is the king of his world, but he is quickly humbled upon realizing he's a small fish in a big pond.
Marty Supreme review: What's it about?
Set in the 1950s, Marty Supreme follows Marty Mauser (Timothée Chalamet), who is a talented ping-pong player but begins the movie as a shoe salesman for his uncle on the side.
His familial dynamics are complicated. His mother, played by Sandra Bernhard, misses him, and he takes advantage of his uncle's leniency.
Meanwhile, he has relations with Rachel Mizler (Odessa A'zion), a married woman. Aside from Chalamet, A'zion may give the movie's best performance. More on that later.
The opening scene and title card of Marty Supreme leave nothing to the imagination. Something happens early on that puts Marty on the run from his relationship with Rachel.
While Marty is a top-tier player, he knows it, and he's determined to climb the mountain. After a controversial performance at the annual competition in London, England, he's destined to return to the next one in Japan. However, it's not an easy ride back to redemption.
Timothée Chalamet once again delivers a knockout performance
The buck stops with Chalamet, who follows up his revolutionary performance as Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown with Marty Supreme.
His performance as Marty is less physical than playing Dylan, which included imitating the “Blowin' in the Wind” singer's iconic voice. However, Chalamet still does something he rarely does: be annoying.
For all of his talents, Marty is blinded by his own ambition. Like most of the Safdie brothers' “protagonists,” if you can call them that, are similarly victims of addiction. Robert Pattinson's Connie was dead-set on breaking his brother free in Good Time, and Adam Sandler's Howard Ratner was addicted to the thrill of gambling.
Marty is so bold that he tells people he has “purpose,” unlike them. This type of emotional immaturity causes him to get into some sticky situations.
Perhaps playing Bob Dylan somewhat set the precedent for Chalamet, as he is usually good for playing the gawky, happy-go-lucky kid. Now, he's playing a hustler who, like a wrecking ball, doesn't even consider the collateral damage caused by his actions.
He's not a hero, and his road to redemption is long. Ultimately, Safdie and co-writer Ronald Bronstein found a way to give him a satisfying (if not a tad prolonged) arc.
If not for Chalamet's performance — which masterfully toes the line of likable and despicable — Marty Supreme would fall flat. Most of the weight of the movie falls on his shoulders, and it's a masterclass.
The supporting cast is led by Mr. Wonderful
Chalamet is assisted by A'zion, who does a great job as Rachel. Their dynamic is eerily reminiscent of Kit and Holly in Badlands. Neither is necessarily a good person, though they are good for each other with their manipulative tendencies.
This could certainly serve as a launching pad for A'zion, who also recently starred in HBO's I Love LA, created by Rachel Sennott. In Marty Supreme, Rachel has a rough relationship with Ira (Emory Cohen).
While her side of the story isn't elaborated on much, it's understood that Ira isn't a great partner. So, that leads her back to Marty, who provides a thrill to her otherwise mundane life as a worker at a pet store.
Kevin O'Leary, aka Mr. Wonderful on Shark Tank, may not be an actor (Marty Supreme is his first acting role), but he gives a remarkable performance. He plays Milton Rockwell, a businessman in the pen industry who takes an interest in Marty. Oh, and he's married to Kay Stone (Gwyneth Paltrow), who, if you saw the trailer, he comes on to.
Mr. Rockwell is a cold-hearted businessman. O'Leary plays him to perfection with an almost sinister smile on his face. It's genuinely chilling to watch some of his interactions with Marty. It'd be surprising if O'Leary doesn't land more acting gigs following Marty Supreme.
Paltrow playing a once-famous actress, who is now trying her hand at Broadway, seems somewhat meta. While Paltrow is far from irrelevant — her lack of movie roles appears to be on her own volition — she has earned the right to be selective.
When she does appear in a movie, though, she reminds you how good she is. While performers generally have a belief in themselves that Marty shares, Kay serves as a warning to the ping-pong star.
She acknowledges dreams, but she's fairly pragmatic, something that doesn't enter Marty's brain. She is like the best-case scenario for Marty, and the man who loses his dog is like his worst-case scenario.
The small scale of Marty Supreme
Despite Marty Supreme being a globe-trotting adventure, it retains the slice-of-life quality that made the Safdie brothers' earlier films magical. There are scenes in England and Japan, but most of Marty Supreme takes place in the streets of New York City, while occasionally going across the Hudson to New Jersey.
It's a very small-scale adventure, all things considered. Like a ping-pong ball, Marty is knocked back and forth between shady characters and situations.
Marty Supreme takes a little while to get into a rhythm, but it begins flying once it does. However, after the first ping-pong tournament, Marty's journey to the next one takes center stage.
As Marty runs through the streets of New York, it almost feels like After Hours by way of Good Time. Of course, nothing goes his way, and he continues finding himself in unenviable positions.
Should you watch the Timothée Chalamet-led Marty Supreme?
Marty Supreme captures the essence of ping-pong — it's a small-scale adventure that feels huge to people like its title character. Chalamet delivers some of the best work of his career. He has radiant chemistry with Paltrow and A'zion, and O'Leary's performance is the thing of nightmares.
Safdie's work isn't as flashy as his brother's in The Smashing Machine's boxing scenes. However, he leans into the intensity of ping-pong, and every volley has you on the edge of your seat.
It really helps that Daniel Lopatin returned as the composer of Safdie's latest movie. Lopatin previously composed the Safdie brothers' Good Time and Uncut Gems, and his experimental synthesizer-heavy scores are one of the most recognizable parts of their earlier works. His score, while sometimes overwhelming, encapsulates the addiction that overcomes Marty.
How fortunate are we to get two Safdie brother projects in a year? A24 has helped propel them to new heights, and perhaps Chalamet will finally reach the next level with an Oscar win.
Grade: B+
Marty Supreme will be released on Dec. 25.
