Marty Mauser, a young man with a dream no one respects, goes to hell and back in pursuit of greatness.
Chuck says:
Whenever I sit down for a Safdie Brothers’ movie, I’m never sure if I’m going to be entertained or assaulted. “Good Time,” their overrated 2017 feature that put them on the map, was a manic exercise mistaken for energetic filmmaking. Their equally hectic “Uncut Gems” was salvaged by Adam Sandler’s dynamic performance and a more streamlined narrative, its nervous energy put to good use as a reflection of its protagonist’s mindset. Going their separate ways, Benny Safdie’s “The Smashing Machine,” employed a jittery visual approach, as we were meant to endure Mark Kerr’s (Dwayne Johnson) trials with him, an approach that never allowed the viewer a moment’s rest.
Now, Josh Safdie’s “Marty Supreme” ups the ante significantly. Driven by a spirited performance from Timothee Chalamet, this portrait of a ne’er do well in crisis is initially invigorating but ultimately taxing. Unrelenting in its pacing as well as the complexities that befall its anti-hero, this is a film that overstays its welcome, trusting the viewer will be patient and energetic enough to see this exhausting experience to its conclusion. For their trouble, the audience is rewarded with a conclusion that’s as unconvincing as it is trite.
Taking place in 1952, Marty Mauser (Chalamet) is a young man on a mission and nothing or no one will get in his way of accomplishing it. He’ll cheat, steal, and lie to reach his goal of becoming the greatest table tennis player in the world. When he’s not selling shoes at his uncle’s, he’s knocking up his married childhood friend, Rachel (Odessa A’zion), ignoring his ailing mother (Fran Drescher) or engaging in illicit trysts with has-been actress, Kay Stone (Gwyneth Paltrow).
And then there’s the matter of ping pong, which Mauser is very, very good at. He’d likely achieve his goal if he could get out of his own way, but his ego trips him up at every turn. With a knack of taking a bad situation and making it worse, the brash young man finds himself on the outs with the governing body of the International Table Tennis Association, a situation that forces him to make a deal with the devil, namely businessman Milton Rockwell (Kevin O’Leary), who happens to be Stone’s husband.
The complications that ensue border on the absurd, Mauser having run-ins with the law, nearly getting shot after pulling a con on a bunch of rubes, and dealing with a nefarious character (Abel Ferrera) whose dog he’s turned loose. Ronald Bronstein and Safdie’s incident-heavy script is at turns inspired, then frustrating and finally exhausting. The high-energy approach to this overly complicated story almost sells it, but as with so many modern films, its bloated running time undercuts it in the end.
“Supreme” is a seductive film. Its meticulous production design recreates a mid-century Big Apple that’s dingy, rundown and claustrophobic, sucking the viewer further in with each successive scene. Equally compelling are the solid performances from the cast. Among them, Paltrow has rarely been this vulnerable or compelling as the actress eager to go back to her glory days, while O’Leary, the businessman of “Shark Tank” fame, making his film debut, effortlessly commands the screen, his anger and disdain dominating his every scene.
Of course, everything goes back to Chalamet and he’s a marvel. The energy he conjures for each scene is remarkable. He brings a sense of mischief to the role and embraces the opportunity to push the audience away, as Mauser becomes more deplorable as the film progresses. You can tell when a performer is having a good time and it’s obvious Chalamet is having a blast here.
The praise for “Supreme” has been overwhelming and it’s easy to see why so many have been sucked in by it. Yet, in addition to it being overwhelming, its conclusion didn’t ring true to me. An effort to redeem Mauser with a last-minute epiphany runs counter to all we’ve seen of him before. It lands with a thud. Safdie wants to have his cake and eat it too, asking us to sit back and chuckle at how reprehensible Mauser is, yet wanting us to embrace him in the end. Hopefully, you’ll be smart enough not to fall for this final scam.
2 1/2 Stars
