December 21, 2025
FILM: MARTY SUPREME
DIRECTED BY: JOSH SAFDIE
STARRING: TIMOTHEE CHALAMET, GWYNETH PALTROW, ODESSA A’ZION
RATING: 3 ½ out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
In Marty Supreme, Timothee Chalamet plays a table tennis champ who has big dreams and some unscrupulous means of reaching them. To say that this is simply Chalamet’s “ping pong” sports movie undersells what it’s really all about. The film is broader and more personal while also crossing genre lines. There’s a LOT going on in the film that makes it feel like a New York Scorsese story, a modern-day Bonnie & Clyde, and a mix of Tarantino’s biting, witty dialogue with the wild shenanigans of last year’s Anora.
The story starts in 1952 when the title character is working as a shoe salesman in New York City. He’s already become known as a local table tennis winner but his goal is to get to Japan for a world tournament. The opening scenes are fast-moving and quite electric. Chalamet is at center stage and creates a quick-talking, determined, energetic character who will move beyond anyone that stands in his way to reach his dreams. It’s a pretty explosive performance for sure. While still a smaller guy, Chalamet as Marty sports wire rim classes, a shorter more 50s style haircut, and bigger, flashier physical movements especially during the ping pong scenes. Chalamet uses his whole body to move around the table, hit the ball from high angles, and work fast on his feet.
Marty is also not the nicest person on the planet. He manipulates people to get what he wants and comes across as overly confident and somewhat naïve in his assertiveness. One of the characters he interacts with is Kay Stone, played by Gwyneth Paltrow, a known actress returning to her acting roots (much like Paltrow is with this film.) Marty is quite taken with her but we don’t know how much of it is pure lust or if he wants something from her. They have some hot moments together but Kay may be one of the pawns in Marty’s quest for success. Paltrow is very good in the role and exhibits a sultriness and middle-aged no-nonsense stance that stands as a great contrast to the wild Marty.
Also of note is the character of Rachel, played Odessa A’zion. She works in a pet store and has a relationship with Marty even though she already has a husband. When she becomes pregnant, his life gets more complicated. A’zion is quite amazing in the role. I’d compare her performance to Loraine Bracco’s Oscar-nominated turn in Scorsese’s Goodfellas 35 years ago. She’s tough and vulnerable.
Other interesting actors in smaller roles include Fran Drescher (yes, The Nanny) as Marty’s mother and Sandra Bernhard as a neighbor in their apartment building. Neither is on screen for long periods of time but would be fascinating to see in more expanded parts.
Writer/Director Josh Safdie does an excellent job of pacing especially during the early scenes. The editing is just as fast-paced as some of the overlapping dialogue and high energy associated with the characters. His choice of music is curious as he fills the soundtrack with a lot of 1980s New Wave, including two songs by Tears for Fears. Given that the film is set in the 1950s, one can only assume that he wanted the music to reflect Marty’s alternative and high powered drive that might have appeared too discordant if the tunes used were solely from the decade of the 50s.
The film moves attention away from table tennis tournaments for much of its running time. Instead Marty travels around New York City trying to get money for his trip to Japan. These scenes have the raw street feel of some of Scorsese’s most locally set films with crime thriller elements seen in everything from the aforementioned Bonnie & Clyde to last year’s Oscar-winning Anora. As such the story is atypical of what we might expect from a sports-genre story. It’s more about the underbelly of city life and its unsavory characters. After about 90 of the film’s 149-minute running time, a certain repetitiveness sets in that does feel a bit exhausting. There’s a sequence about a missing dog that, while full of action, might be a bit much for the story. Even Chalamet starts looking, appropriately, tired. Perhaps the means of getting to Japan are more than what Marty had anticipated.
Marty Supreme is an American story about a guy who knows what he wants but might very well be taking the wrong route to get there.
Marty Supreme opens on Christmas Day.
FILM: MARTY SUPREME
DIRECTED BY: JOSH SAFDIE
STARRING: TIMOTHEE CHALAMET, GWYNETH PALTROW, ODESSA A’ZION
RATING: 3 ½ out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
In Marty Supreme, Timothee Chalamet plays a table tennis champ who has big dreams and some unscrupulous means of reaching them. To say that this is simply Chalamet’s “ping pong” sports movie undersells what it’s really all about. The film is broader and more personal while also crossing genre lines. There’s a LOT going on in the film that makes it feel like a New York Scorsese story, a modern-day Bonnie & Clyde, and a mix of Tarantino’s biting, witty dialogue with the wild shenanigans of last year’s Anora.
The story starts in 1952 when the title character is working as a shoe salesman in New York City. He’s already become known as a local table tennis winner but his goal is to get to Japan for a world tournament. The opening scenes are fast-moving and quite electric. Chalamet is at center stage and creates a quick-talking, determined, energetic character who will move beyond anyone that stands in his way to reach his dreams. It’s a pretty explosive performance for sure. While still a smaller guy, Chalamet as Marty sports wire rim classes, a shorter more 50s style haircut, and bigger, flashier physical movements especially during the ping pong scenes. Chalamet uses his whole body to move around the table, hit the ball from high angles, and work fast on his feet.
Marty is also not the nicest person on the planet. He manipulates people to get what he wants and comes across as overly confident and somewhat naïve in his assertiveness. One of the characters he interacts with is Kay Stone, played by Gwyneth Paltrow, a known actress returning to her acting roots (much like Paltrow is with this film.) Marty is quite taken with her but we don’t know how much of it is pure lust or if he wants something from her. They have some hot moments together but Kay may be one of the pawns in Marty’s quest for success. Paltrow is very good in the role and exhibits a sultriness and middle-aged no-nonsense stance that stands as a great contrast to the wild Marty.
Also of note is the character of Rachel, played Odessa A’zion. She works in a pet store and has a relationship with Marty even though she already has a husband. When she becomes pregnant, his life gets more complicated. A’zion is quite amazing in the role. I’d compare her performance to Loraine Bracco’s Oscar-nominated turn in Scorsese’s Goodfellas 35 years ago. She’s tough and vulnerable.
Other interesting actors in smaller roles include Fran Drescher (yes, The Nanny) as Marty’s mother and Sandra Bernhard as a neighbor in their apartment building. Neither is on screen for long periods of time but would be fascinating to see in more expanded parts.
Writer/Director Josh Safdie does an excellent job of pacing especially during the early scenes. The editing is just as fast-paced as some of the overlapping dialogue and high energy associated with the characters. His choice of music is curious as he fills the soundtrack with a lot of 1980s New Wave, including two songs by Tears for Fears. Given that the film is set in the 1950s, one can only assume that he wanted the music to reflect Marty’s alternative and high powered drive that might have appeared too discordant if the tunes used were solely from the decade of the 50s.
The film moves attention away from table tennis tournaments for much of its running time. Instead Marty travels around New York City trying to get money for his trip to Japan. These scenes have the raw street feel of some of Scorsese’s most locally set films with crime thriller elements seen in everything from the aforementioned Bonnie & Clyde to last year’s Oscar-winning Anora. As such the story is atypical of what we might expect from a sports-genre story. It’s more about the underbelly of city life and its unsavory characters. After about 90 of the film’s 149-minute running time, a certain repetitiveness sets in that does feel a bit exhausting. There’s a sequence about a missing dog that, while full of action, might be a bit much for the story. Even Chalamet starts looking, appropriately, tired. Perhaps the means of getting to Japan are more than what Marty had anticipated.
Marty Supreme is an American story about a guy who knows what he wants but might very well be taking the wrong route to get there.
Marty Supreme opens on Christmas Day.