Marty Supreme

by Mike McGranaghan

The downside of being in a sibling filmmaking team is that, if you eventually split up, the specific magic that was created can dissipate. Just ask Peter and Bobby Farrelly, or Joel and Ethan Coen. Josh and Benny Safdie, makers of the electrifying movies Good Time and Uncut Gems, can be added to that list – for the time being, at least. A couple months ago, Benny released the good-but-not-great The Smashing Machine, and now Josh releases the also good-but-not-great Marty Supreme. Both pictures have positive qualities; neither matches up to the brothers’ work together.

Timothée Chalamet portrays Marty Mauser, a young shoe salesman determined to become a champion in the rising sport of table tennis. That requires raising the money to take part in a big competition in Japan. An early attempt at raising cash entails seducing Kay Stone (Gwyneth Paltrow), the former movie star wife of a business bigshot, unconvincingly played by Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary (because, apparently, all the actual actors in Hollywood were busy). Contributing to the pressure is the fact that Marty has impregnated his married friend Rachel (Until Dawn’s Odessa A’zion).

So, you’ve got a plot in which a guy frantically takes a series of drastic measures in an effort to get money and avoid catastrophe? Yeah, Marty Supreme has pretty much the same concept as Uncut Gems.

That isn’t inherently a bad thing. The milieu is different, as is the time period. (This film takes place during the 1950s.) Marty also has a lot more self-confidence than Howard Ratner. He’s the sort of fellow who believes greatness is his destiny, that it’s somehow preordained. That makes for interesting scenarios, as he shmoozes, connives, and manipulates his way toward his goal. An extended sequence involving Marty and Rachel trying to get a reward for returning a lost dog is a highlight, both for its intensity and its shocking outcome.

Chalamet is excellent in the lead role, giving Marty a live-wire personality. The actor convinces us that the character is determined to will his dream into existence. People like that can be annoying, but he invests Marty with just enough charm to keep us from loathing him. Scenes with Paltrow are particularly effective, as she plays Kay with a weariness that nicely contrasts his borderline mania. As an interesting undertone, Kay is someone who achieved her own dream and clearly feels let down by the result – a path that could become Marty’s, too.

At two-and-a-half hours, the film has spots where it grows slightly repetitive. The story is basically that note of Marty facing adversity over and over again. Even though the adversities themselves are varied, he plows through them in a similar fashion. Tightening the pace would have gone a long way toward bringing more urgency to the character’s plight. Safdie is a little too in love with his own material to recognize the need for minor trimming.

Marty Supreme always feels like it’s on the cusp of becoming great without getting there. I found myself drawn in by the performances and the overall arc of Marty’s journey, yet never fully transported by the movie. It’s ambitious, taking notable storytelling risks, some of which work and some of which narrowly miss. That unpredictability, combined with Chalamet’s dynamic acting, is enough to make the film worth seeing. I hope, however, that both Safdies will, over time, find a way to bring their combined magic to their individual products.

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