Best film of the year already in February? Nolan, Spielberg, and Villeneuve will have their work cut out for them to surpass the nearly perfect drama by Josh Safdie.
When was the last time you sat in a movie theater and had no idea if you've been watching the film for an hour, an hour and a half, or two? "Marty Supreme" (Big Marty) runs for two and a half hours, but it feels like no time at all. It's a film where you get completely lost and don't want anyone to find you. You're swept away by one surprising plot twist after another, marveling at the careful composition of scenes creating a unique mosaic of a few days in the life of Big Marty.
In 1952, Marty is the best American ping-pong player, a sport that hadn't quite caught on in the USA at the time but was making waves abroad, especially in Asia. Marty's dream is to become a world champion, but besides fierce competition, he faces other obstacles. He has issues with his mother, his uncle who employs him at a job he dislikes, a married friend who's fancied him since childhood, and his unresolved inner demons.
His biggest problem is his oversized ego, excessive confidence, and an empty wallet. How will he get to the tournament in Tokyo when he doesn't even have two dollars to his name? For most of the movie, he tries to make money through various scams.
He often finds himself in unbelievable and bizarre situations with interesting characters, making the plot continuously entertaining and, at many moments, gripping. Josh Safdie drew inspiration for Chalamet's character and story from real events surrounding ping-pong champion Marty Reisman, but this isn't a biography; it's a fictional drama.
Marty Mauser is a defining role for Timothée Chalamet. The 30-year-old Chalamet has already snagged a Golden Globe for it, and it's highly likely he'll turn his third Oscar nomination into his first win with this role. Chalamet is like a captivating tornado in the film, unstoppable. His incredible acting range and charisma are primarily to thank for that.
He last excelled like this in Leonardo DiCaprio's "Catch Me If You Can." Not that their roles are very similar, but that's when DiCaprio showed he has no limits. Chalamet demonstrates something similar here.
Sharing the screen with him are other fantastic actors like Gwyneth Paltrow, Abel Ferrara, and rising star Odessa A'zion ("I Love LA"). Yet, Chalamet stands miles apart from everyone else, and the script and Josh Safdie's brilliant direction support him. He, along with his brother Benny, previously made hits like "Good Times" and "Uncut Gems." You can feel the DNA of those dramas in "Marty."
The film is constantly in motion, the story frequently shifts in unexpected directions, offering twists, fantastic surprises, and chaotic dialogue that makes viewers a little edgy and adrenaline-pumped. Josh Safdie keeps you guessing until the end. His twists aren't superficial; every unexpected narrative turn makes logical sense and the characters behave like real human beings, not just as the script requires. It all fits together beautifully.
"Marty Supreme" is essentially a sports movie, but aside from two key matches, ping-pong is quite peripheral. When it does appear, viewers can expect riveting shots. Chalamet trained in ping-pong for years, and it shows. Some scenes feature very fast exchanges and top-notch shots. The director succeeded in building the matches excitingly. A minor letdown in these scenes is the camerawork, which didn't bring anything special. But that's probably the only flaw in the film.
"Marty Supreme" is like "Uncut Gems" on Xanax. It's a calmer film, where viewers can follow along a bit more easily without creating as much existential tension and discomfort in the audience, yet it's still palpable. The film doesn't lack cleverly placed humorous scenes, a delightful soundtrack. The excellent costumes and sets transport you back 70 years in an instant. It's one of those films you'll enjoy even more on a second watch.
At Refresher, we last gave a perfect score to a theater release in 2023 when it was deserved by "John Wick 4" and "Suzume," and the year before to "The Batman" by Matt Reeves. In recent years, films like "Poor Things," "Oppenheimer," "Challengers," and "Civil War" came close. "Marty Supreme" truly belongs in a group of masterpieces, earning a 10/10 from us.
