Marty Supreme
2025
*****
Director: Josh Safdie
Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Odessa A’zion, Kevin O’Leary, Tyler Okonma, Abel Ferrara, Fran Drescher, Sandra Bernhard, Emory Cohen, Fred Hechinger, Luke Manley, Koto Kawaguchi, George Gervin
In the 1950s, the young and driven Marty Mauser is determined to become world champion in table tennis. If only he weren't his own worst enemy. Like Good Time and Uncut Gems, the two best-known works by the Safdie brothers, Josh Safdie's terrific first solo feature is fuelled by frenetic energy and displays unexpected sympathy to its deeply flawed protagonist. As Marty juggles his love life and hustles to make his dream happen, he must confront the costs of his obsessive ambition. The resulting film is funny, moving, and refreshingly unpredictable. Timothée Chalamet commands every scene in the lead role, and the mostly inexperienced cast gives him excellent support. The film is loosely inspired by the life of Marty Reisman and his memoir The Money Player: The Confessions of America’s Greatest Table Tennis Champion and Hustler.
