David R. Walker

Archive for the ‘Josh Safdie’ Category

Marty Supreme

Director: Josh Safdie

Cast: Timothee Chalamet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Odessa A’zion, Fran Drescher, Sandra Bernhard, Emory Cohen, Kevin O’Leary, Abel Ferrara

Running time: 2 hours and 29 minutes

Film Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Director Josh Safdie found the right actor with Oscar nominee 30 year stratospheric star Timothee Chalamet (Call Me By Your Name, A Complete Unknown) to take on the main role of the obnoxious and cheeky yet determined table tennis player Marty Mauser in his new brilliant original film Marty Supreme set in New York in 1952, just seven years after the end of World War II.

Co-written with Ronald Bronstein, Marty Supreme features a tour-de-force performance by Timothee Chalamet as a determined and broke young shoe salesman who plans on following his dream by representing America in table tennis at the international table tennis championships first in London and then eventually in Tokyo.

Except that Marty is trapped in a family business working for his uncle who is financially supporting his mother Rebecca Mauser played by Fran Drescher.

Marty has big dreams, lots of energy and confidence and is ready to do literally anything to escape the claustrophobic setting of his New York neighbourhood, however he accidentally complicates his life when he sleeps with the young and audacious Rachel Mizler wonderfully played by Odessa A’zion.

Marty flies to London where while at the Ritz during a crazy interview with reporters he spots the beautiful and regal 1930’s screen actress Kay Stone superbly played by Oscar winner Gwyneth Paltrow (Shakespeare in Love) who is absolutely brilliant as a fading film star trapped in a lavish but loveless marriage to the ink billionaire Milton Rockwell, sadistically played to perfection by Kevin O’Leary. In Kay Stone and Milton Rockwell, Marty discovers affluent people with the means to do anything, a far cry from the hustlers and con artists that populate his world. Marty is mesmerized by the alluring Kay Stone and embarks on a passionate but bizarre maternal affair with his financier’s wife.

Gwyneth Paltrow after a long screen hiatus is back in an emotional nuanced performance beautifully based on annoyance and lust whereby she holds Marty in contempt for being not only her younger male lover but also because socially he is well below her social status even though she is just an actress.

Broke and desperate to raise money to get to the table tennis champions in Tokyo, a dream which seems impossible to everyone, Marty is determined to hustle and woo Milton Rockwell while also trying to steal money from an old gangster Ezra Mishkin played by film director Abel Ferrara who will pay a reward fee to find his lost dog.

With a colourful script by Bronstein and Safdie, Marty Supreme is an amazing life affirming, frenetic picaresque tale of one man who is determined to make his dreams come true despite his social, financial and romantic challenges.

At the centre of Marty Supreme is a brilliant Oscar worthy performance by Timothee Chalamet who inhabits every moment of the Neo-realist narrative filling the screen with crazy antics, snappy dialogue and an immeasurable screen confidence which overflows in a story about determination, success and the ability to believe in yourself.

Set between New York, London and Tokyo, Marty Supreme is an electrifying film anchored by two amazing performances by Timothee Chalamet and Gwyneth Paltrow who counterbalance a story about chaos, blind ambition and responsibility.

Marty Supreme is an inventive original film which deserves recognition and gets a film rating of 8.5 out of 10.

It’s a crazy film but audiences will not be disappointed. Chalamet deserves all the acting accolades coming his way. Highly recommended viewing.