Marty Supreme ★★★★★

Marty Supreme has the tour-de-force quality of a classic on arrival. From its first moment to its last, director Josh Safdie (Good Time, Uncut Gems) injects electricity into each frame, imbuing his film with similar adrenaline-pumping sensibilities of his filmography, honing his style into perfection.

Marty Supreme is an odyssey through the world of its central figure, Marty Mauser. Mauser (Timothée Chalamet) is a table tennis player with aspirations for greatness. He must absolutely be the best. Mauser spends the last of his money on a tournament in London, in 1952, which he subsequently loses to the Japanese maverick, Koto (Koto Kawaguchi). Mauser is given a chance to redeem this devastating loss through an exhibition match, sponsored by the billionaire Milton Rockwell (Kevin O’Leary).

Mauser turns this down after realising the match is fixed for him to lose, opting instead to play in a tournament in Tokyo. Safdie depicts Mauser’s attempts to raise enough funds to play in the tournament. Although we move through New York, London, Paris, and Tokyo, Safdie ensures every moment of Mauser’s journey is filled with tension and excitement. There are moments that seem impossible for his protagonist to succeed, yet he always does.

From the thrilling After Hours-esque screenplay by Safdie and long-time collaborator Richard Bronstein to the textured and layered production design that designer Jack Fisk employs to give the film a sense of naturalism, the team behind Marty Supreme matches Mauser’s exceptionalism. Where Safdie’s earlier films carried a sense of the kinetic through the camera, Darius Khondji’s attention to rich colours and atmospheric lighting gives the film a unique texture. The frame moves elegantly like painterly brushstrokes, revealing beauty through chaos.

Marty Supreme’s strongest achievement is its casting. Odessa D’Azion is a standout as Mauser’s longtime friend and sometimes lover. One of the storylines centres around her pregnancy and her efforts to move up in the world by any means necessary. D’Azion effortlessly switches from a sympathetic lover to a cunning schemer in mere moments. Gwyneth Paltrow’s performance as a has-been actress with whom Mauser has an affair is compelling. Non-actors, celebrities, and internet figures pop up throughout the film and blend seamlessly with its 50s period setting. Attention should be spent on Luke Manley’s realistic performance as Mauser’s bumbling friend; Manley is famous for a viral video about the New York Knicks.

Ultimately the film’s success hinges on its central character. Timothée Chalamet is a wonder. The harmony between director and actor leaves the audience enthralled by Chalamet’s energised physicality. He leaps from set piece to set piece; even his table tennis game has a style befitting a showman. Behind-the-scenes stories of Chalamet are a gleeful insight into the passion he has for the world of the story.

The cast and crew of Marty Supreme have crafted a picture worthy of a classic, striving for Mauser’s greatness and achieving it in spades.