Marty Supreme May Be a Charismatic Underdog, but His Reach Far Exceeds His Grasp
Image Courtesy of A24
By Luis Zonenberg
Continuing our rollout of 2025 films, it was finally time to check out one of the more critically acclaimed ones that’s sweeping awards this Oscars season. This time around, Timothée Chalamet got my attention with many praising his performance in the sports comedy Marty Supreme. The film is currently nominated for nine Oscars, including Best Picture, and with Chalamet rumored to be a shoo-in for Best Actor, I figured it was time to take a look at this film and see if it’s truly worth all the hype.
The story focuses on shoe salesman Marty Mauser (Timothée Chalamet) as he tries to hustle his way into the British Open Table Tennis Tournament. Mauser hopes to bring more attention to the sport, with dreams of competing against the defending Table Tennis Champion, Bela Kletzki (Géza Röhrig). Thanks to some money he stole from his uncle, Murray (Larry Sloman), Marty is able to book a trip out to England and compete in the tournament.
Marty is able to beat Kletzki, and finds a new opponent in Koto Endo (Koto Kawaguchi), a deaf tennis player who represents Japan. After losing to Endo, Marty tries to scrounge up enough funds to compete in the World Championship in hopes of facing him once more. Marty embarks on an odyssey of trials and tribulations to raise enough money, only getting himself in more trouble when he runs into his former lover, Rachel (Odessa A’zion), who is pregnant with his son!
The film is incredibly well-written. Marty is a charming but also manipulative character you’re never entirely rooting for. This makes the film all the more fun since the audience never knows what Marty will do next, leading to a lot of hilarious hijinks and dramatically intense moments. The movie is very aware of Marty’s toxic behavior, choosing to display how it only leads to harm rather than good and allowing Marty to really rethink what he should be striving for.
The cast was highly entertaining to watch on the whole, with Chalamet providing an incredibly charming performance as Marty Mauser. Chalamet deftly balances the character’s sly wit with the more dramatic moments, delivering a compelling performance. Odessa A’zion was the real standout as Rachel Minzler, providing a layered performance that captures both the charm and tragedy of her character. Other supporting actors like Kevin O’Leary, Gwyneth Paltrow, Géza Röhrig, and Tyler Okonma also rounded out the film with excellent performances.
The cinematography was especially pleasing, especially considering the film was shot on 35mm film stock. This really helped capture the vintage feel of the time period, making it all the more nostalgic and old-fashioned. Cinematographer Darius Khondji captured some incredible shots that showcased the grand aspirations of Marty’s character while cleverly holding back for the more intimate character moments. This is by far one of the best-looking films I’ve seen all year!
The overall costumes and makeup also really aided the visual splendor of the film, recapturing the rustic appeal of the 50s in proper fashion. It beautifully showcases the rich appeal of the upper-class lifestyle while respecting the look and feel of the lower class striving to survive the everyday trials and tribulations life has in store for them. Director Josh Safdie did an outstanding job replicating this time period and visualized it in a way that made this film all the more timeless.
While it’s probably not one of my personal favorites from last year, it’s hard to ignore the immense charm and spectacle this film has to offer. The wry humor and visual aesthetic made this film all the more enjoyable to watch, with the overall message ultimately hitting a home run by the time the credits roll. While it’s clear to see Marty Supreme’s reach exceeds his grasp, it remains hard to ignore his clever and charming presence.
Marty Supreme is now playing in theaters.
Rating: ★★★★☆
