Chalamet Pursues Greatness In ‘Marty Supreme’

Many were shocked when Timothée Chalamet lost the Oscar for Best Actor to Adrien Brody at this past year’s ceremony. Chalamet was nominated for playing Bob Dylan in “A Complete Unknown,” and though he openly professed his desire to be one of the all-time greats, an Academy Award win wasn’t in the cards that year.

Josh Safdie’s new film, “Marty Supreme,” almost feels like a response to Chalamet’s campaign and subsequent Oscar loss, despite being filmed over a year ago. Chalamet stars as the titular Marty Mauser, a shoe salesman with a drive to become the world’s dominant table tennis player. With extraordinary grit and determination, Marty moves through the early 1950s with a highfalutin attitude that causes him (and those who are unlucky enough to fall into his orbit) a great deal of trouble.

Because of that, Marty Mauser is a role that feels tailor-made for Chalamet — a young upstart who is more than happy to play the game, but is much more interested in making waves and paving an unconventional path for himself. It’s a stellar performance (and certainly in the conversation for the best of Chalamet’s career thus far), proving that he’s more than willing to work towards his ambitious goals. Perhaps this is the year he will take home the Oscar trophy for the first time.

Though it centers around the rabble-rousing Marty Mauser, “Marty Supreme” rides on the back of its impressive ensemble. Some of the players in his life include Rachel Minzler (Odessa A’zion), a childhood friend with whom he is having an affair; Kay Stone (Gwyneth Paltrow), a retired silent film actress; Wally (Tyler Okonma), a taxi driver who routinely runs cons with Marty; and Milton Rockwell (Kevin O’Leary), a vicious businessman who takes an interest in Marty’s ping pong prowess. Other notable cast members include Abel Ferrara, Fran Drescher, and Emory Cohen.

It is in writer/director Josh Safdie’s utilization of non-actors that “Marty Supreme” really finds its footing. In addition to Tyker Okonma (primarily known as a musician under the name Tyler the Creator), O’Leary (a businessman and one of the hosts of “Shark Tank”), and Ferrara (an incredibly accomplished filmmaker in his own right), the supporting cast is littered with roles that are both nontraditional and undeniably effective. It does wonders for making the mid-20th-century New York, London and Japan (among other settings) feel incredibly lived-in and naturalistic. It draws you in and makes the film’s two and a half hours dissipate in the blink of an eye.

“Marty Supreme” is one of the best films of the year. It combines Chalamet’s enthusiastic commitment to a juicy role with Safdie’s trademark frenetic, excitable energy in a way that makes you believe that dreams can come true. It’s a living contradiction — rough but charming, fast but thoughtful…but it’s always a good time. And when you’re in pursuit of greatness, it’s important to have plenty of fun along the way.