Chalamet delivers powerhouse performance in Safdie’s wild ping pong tale
If you’re feeling a little sleepy this afternoon after too much Christmas cheer and need a jolt of energy, put the coffee down and instead head out to see Marty Supreme. Writer/director Josh Safdie’s newest is the cinematic equivalent of ten espresso shots and ten Red Bulls. Anchored by a tour de force performance from Timothée Chalamet, Marty Supreme is a whirlwind of a good time that makes its two-and-a-half hour running time seem like five minutes.
Six years ago on Christmas Day, the Safdie Brothers (Josh and Benny) opened their similarly frenetic Uncut Gems. Fast forward to 2025, and each has struck out on his own: Benny with the Dwayne Johnson wrestling flick The Smashing Machine and Josh with the Chalamet-helmed Marty Supreme. Interestingly, both are films loosely based on lesser known sports figures. In the case of Marty Supreme, Safdie and Uncut Gems co-writer Ronald Bronstein have dramatized the life of Marty Reisman, a 1950s flamboyant New York City-based table tennis champion.
Reisman died in 2012, and so how much Chalamet’s Marty Mauser is inspired by the real ping pong star is unknown. What does matter is that Chalamet has created a fascinating, singular character in Marty Mauser, and Chalamet’s performance alone is reason enough to see the movie.
Marty is an abrasive, overly confident, and not entirely likable young man so convinced of his superiority and right to success that he can’t even fathom losing a game or not getting his way, personally or professionally. Watching the film, my heart broke for Marty as much as I wanted to shake him into facing reality, which is a testament to Chalamet’s layered performance. Marty suffers from delusions of grandeur much like Death of a Salesman’s Willy Loman: the characters are spiritual cousins, both insisting on maintaining hope and positivity in a world that more often or not presents crushing disappointments and open hostility.
The film’s story arc follows Marty’s circuitous quest to play in the world table tennis championships in Japan to redeem himself from an earlier, unacceptable loss. His route there is filled with the same sort of unexpected and unfortunate twists and turns that Adam Sandler’s Howard encountered while trying to sell a valuable black opal in Uncut Gems. To say much more would spoil the fun, but the side stories and misadventures Marty endures on his unwavering path to greatness will make your head spin in equal parts disbelief, fright, embarrassment, delight, and, ultimately, empathy.
Marty’s journey is peppered with colorful characters. They include Kay, played by Gwyneth Paltrow in a career-best performance as a former film star turned stage actress. Kay finds herself drawn to the cocky Marty in spite of herself and her marriage to the wealthy and arrogant Milton (Kevin O’Leary), who becomes both Marty’s ally and enemy. Odessa A’zion (currently in HBO’s I Love LA) holds her own as Marty’s girlfriend Rachel, matching Chalamet’s intensity in every scene. And in smaller parts, Fran Drescher as Marty’s high-strung mother and Tyler Okonma as Marty’s loyal friend Wally add depth and verve to the already charged story. How they contribute to Marty’s sometimes self-destructive path makes for mesmerizing viewing, and you’ll be holding your breath right up until the film’s ingenious–and some might argue hopeful–final shot.
If you enjoyed Uncut Gems and the Safdie Brothers’ Good Time, you’re bound to love Marty Supreme. But if you don’t have the stomach for watching a brash character maneuver through stressful, frenzied, head-slappingly dangerous situations all for self-involved reasons, you might want to avoid the picture. Those of you who take a chance are in for a blast, though–even if you find yourself needing a stiff drink as the credits roll.
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Marty Supreme opens today at theaters, including at the AMC Metreon, Landmark Opera Plaza, AMC Kabuki, and Alamo Drafthouse in San Francisco, AMC Bay Street in Emeryville, Landmark Piedmont and Regal Jack London in Oakland, and the Cinemark Century in Walnut Creek.
