Marty Supreme: Doesn’t Come Out on Top!

"Marty Supreme," Directed and Co-Written by Josh Safdie, is on every movie reviewer's Top Ten list for 2025, but it won't be on mine.  I thought Timothee Chalamet deserved the A.A. for Best Actor last year for his amazing performance as Bob Dylan in "A Complete Unknown," although I have no major quarrel with Adrien Brody winning it for "The Brutalist."  The main reason to see this film is another outstanding performance by Chalamet, as Marty Mauser.  He may win the A.A. Best Actor in a Leading Role this year, since his performance is exceptional.  The story is very loosely based on an actual, great American table tennis player in the 1950's, Marty Reisman. Marty Mauser is one of the world's best table tennis players.  Although a popular sport in Asia, nobody cares about it in the United States.  Marty can't make any money with his talent.  He is temporarily working at a N.Y.C. shoe store in order to earn the money required for him to travel to England to compete in the World Table Tennis Championship.  Marty doesn't even have a corporate sponsor. Marty had a very difficult childhood and he, unfortunately, is a malignant narcissist.  He is convinced that he is the best table tennis player in the world, and his only goal in life is to become the world's champ.  He thinks that winning the championship will make him famous in the U.S., as well as rich.  Marty doesn't have a girlfriend who potentially could distract him from his goal, but he gets his sexual needs met by screwing a married friend, Rachel (Odessa A'zion – also terrific).  Marty will exploit anyone, by any means (including lying and stealing), if he deems it necessary. I won't say any more about the plot, but, much like "Uncut Gems" (also directed by Safdie), I found the movie difficult to watch.  The film is phrenetic and hyperbolic.  (I felt like a pong pong ball, getting battered back and forth!)  Too many scenes are way "over-the-top."  The film takes place in the 1950's, but the soundtrack is 1980's rock, which was distracting and too loud.  Marty is unlikeable, and I didn't care if he triumphed or not – in his sport or in his life.  My favorite part of the film was about a 20-minute scene of his final table tennis match with the Japanese world champion.  It's amazing what a great ping pong player can do with a paddle! The film will work fine on the TV, so I would wait to rent it rather than seeing it now.  Regretfully, I did not have a "ball" seeing "Marty Supreme."