User reviews

I tried to like it I really did but maybe it's not for me. I don't believe Timothy in this role. He's getting a lot of roles that don't fit him I think shines when we see him less if this was a model contest I guess he would win but I'm looking forward to the wave of new actors and all I can see if Timothy getting all the roles. The movie is good if you take Timothy out of it and I'm just being honest I don't believe the kid when he acts it's not just about being good looking. All the other actors did great and that's what holds the movie together.

Like Marty, the film that bears his name has no heart. It's all plot, no story. A runaway Rube Goldberg machine that keeps the character conning and the camera charging through relationships, conventions, and common sense, only to leave the audience behind to sift through the debris for the film's emotional point or purpose.

Safdie's talent and style is evident throughout. He's a good, highly kinetic director. And Chalamet has probably never been better. He's an actor who shows no fear and here he embraces Marty's shamelessness and cruelty with glee.

Unfortunately, it's all in service to an overstuffed and overlong shaggy dog story (with an actual shaggy dog) that rinses and repeats Marty's callousness in incident after incident that batters, and frankly, bores. The character never stops moving or talking, but ends up standing still. His ping-pong shots have an arc, but he doesn't. And the completely unearned finale, despite what the writers might believe, doesn't lend him one.

This is Catch Me If You Can without the joie de vivre. The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner without the rebellion. It glitters and shines and catches the eye, but it's not another uncut gem. It's costume jewelry.

Films about underdogs who eagerly aspire to be champions are among the biggest crowd-pleasers in today's movie industry. There's something about watching a story in which an indisputable hopeful does whatever it takes to come out on top (even if that sometimes calls for occasionally bending, or even breaking, the rules), prompting viewers to pull for the would-be victor in the face of such hardships. However, there comes a point where the contender's actions might be called into question, either by going too far or by exhibiting a degree of confidence that verges on arrogance or conceit. Does someone like that still make for a suitable role model? Is that kind of "inspiration" something to be emulated? Or does this represent the rise of a bona fide bad boy? Those are the questions raised in this solo project from writer-director Josh Safdie, one-half of the Safdie Brothers moviemaking duo. Loosely based on the life of colorful American table tennis star Marty Reisman, who rose to prominence in the sport in the 1950s, the film tells the story of Marty Mauser (Timothée Chalamet), a character patterned after his real life counterpart. At a time when table tennis is largely looked on in the US as a home-based pastime -- very much in contrast to its immense popularity as a competitive, legitimate sport in Asia and elsewhere -- Mauser aspires to be a world champion, a goal aimed at making "ping pong" something taken more seriously stateside. However, given the sport's lightweight reputation in America at the time, he has trouble securing financial backing for his efforts, leading him to engage in an array of questionable funding arrangements. What's more, he doesn't help his own case much, either, frequently alienating officials in the sport, as well as potentially influential backers, such as a wealthy pen manufacturer (Kevin O'Leary), partly by his behavior and otherwise with his smug, sarcastic attitude and ample capacity as a pathological liar. Mauser also makes some dubious personal choices, such as having an affair with a Hollywood actress seeking to resuscitate her flailing career (Gwyneth Paltrow) (who, by the way, just happens to be his would-be sponsor's trophy wife) at the same time that he has unwittingly fathered a child with a lifelong friend (Odessa A'zion) who's married to a hothead abusive husband (Emory Cohen). And that's just the tip of the proverbial iceberg of his bad behavior. Mauser is, in no uncertain terms, a hustler of the first order who doesn't always think through his schemes before acting on them. To be sure, Mauser's story is a genuinely entertaining (albeit somewhat overlong) tale, full of laughs, great sports action sequences and one of the most impressive (i.e., not annoying) performances by Chalamet. Despite those strengths, though, is the protagonist someone that parents would want their children to look up to? Personally, I find that a rather questionable choice for the subject of a big screen film. While the protagonist's objective is a noble one, the story told here is also a potent cautionary tale, one that raises many questions about the ends justifying the means. In light of that, then, "Marty Supreme" is one of those releases that must be taken with a full shaker of salt while assessing its content. It might well amuse, but it should also give viewers pause to reflect on the kinds of individuals we admire as heroes, especially where the impressionable among us are concerned. Indeed, watch wisely.

This movie absolutely blew me away and kept me on the edge of my seat with its action shots somewhat similar to Challengers (2024). Timmy was outstanding and will definitely be the front runner for the Oscars with this role. I found the supporting cast very good as well, Gwyneth Paltrow was extraordinary and I was worried that she would seem like pepper potts but I didn't get that vibe at all. The final 30 minutes of this movie had me sweating, nervous and ready to jump up and cheer somewhat similar to when Tom Cruise saved the country in Top Gun Maverick. Only downside was the weird karaoke scene with The Weeknd.

Don't believe the dummies on this site. Some people just don't know ball.

Not only a pin-point perfect script, but a miracle in every other cinematic aspect. Some of the most detailed and inspired production design and photography I've see in years. Thosr familiar with Safdie/Bronstein's careers and influences will see how much they have put of their souls into this. A maximalist masterpiece of modern american cinema.