Film Review - Marty Supreme (15)

 It's every man for himself where I come from. That's just how I grew up.

Marty Supreme fell between years for me - a 2025 release that I only got the chance to see after New Year 2026, so it didn't make my Films of the Year list. Since then, the Timothée Chalamet hype machine has worked a charm, so that Marty is now A24's most successful film worldwide. Plus, it netted nine Academy Award nominations, albeit failing to convert any into your actual Oscar statuettes. Which is a shame. It absolutely deserved part of the share. 

Chalamet is the eponymous Marty, Supreme referring to the character's uniquely orange balls - the ping-pong variety - and undoubtedly his oversized ego. Marty is a table-tennis prodigy and inveterate hustler in 1950s New York, the mean and gritty Lower East Side, to be specific. Working in his uncle's shoe store would be the safe way forward, but our boy has dreams of international sporting glory and will stop at nothing - legal or otherwise - to realise them. That's regardless of whatever wreckage he leaves strewn in his wake.

Director Josh Safdie has form when it comes to morally challenged protagonists, having given us - along with brother Benny - Good Time and Uncut Gems, stress-inducing tales of bad choices and the escalating chaos they create. This time Josh goes it alone but brings a similarly riotous energy with a new comedic twist. The film has a genuinely boisterous and unhinged quality, due to the utter unpredictability of both plot and lead character along with the camera's controlled freneticism and the tightness of the edit. You might enjoy, but don't expect to relax.

Chalamet plays Marty with shady charisma and outrageous levels of chutzpah - a small-time guy with big dreams, constantly on the make and able to talk himself in and out of trouble with equal speed. His narcissism and disregard for consequences will be a turn-off for some viewers, but there's fascination in just how far he can push his luck before it rebounds on him. And Oscar-hungry Timothée commits impressively to the role as much in his cocky demeanour as his table-tennis skills (apparently he spent even longer practising than he did learning guitar for his recent outing as Bob Dylan). It's another outstanding turn, even if some of Marty's obnoxiousness did seem to rub off on the actor as he promoted the film. We'll forgive him since he's this good.

There's memorable support from Gwyneth Paltrow as a faded Hollywood star seeking a comeback and Odessa A'zion as Marty's friend from childhood, the one potential constant in his chaotic existence. Also, Kevin O'Leary from the US Dragon's Den is great as a repellently smug businessman (funny, that). And if the cast as a whole must orbit around the self-promoting Marty, that's totally the point.  

The movie's star may have pushed it as a tale of single-mindedly pursuing your life's goal, but there's a lot more than that to this raucous fable. Combining a '50s aesthetic with a late 20th century soundtrack (Tears for Fears feature more than once) and contemporary cinematography, this is a tale for the ages. Marty's world is a scramble for survival in a society that rewards ruthlessness and crushes weakness - a bit too recognisable for comfort. Whether you end up condemning Marty's actions or cheering him on (likely a bit of both), the gritty realism of his situation is striking. Good job the ride he and Josh Safdie take us on is so damn entertaining.

Memorable moment: Alternative usage for a ping-pong paddle.

Ed's Verdict: 9.5/10. Exhilarating, exasperating, and sometimes hilarious, Marty Supreme is an American tale that will leave you breathless, however you respond to its dubious hero. And that ping-pong ball does look really cool.