“A staggering achievement in every possible way.”

“Fortune favours the bold”

One has to wonder whether Virgil could have imagined that this simple statement he used in the Aeneid over two thousand years ago would somehow come to be seen as a defining adage on the subject of ambition, a quote that has been applied to so many different contexts that it has become something of a cliche. However, its brevity and simplicity are the reasons it has remained so relevant, especially when looking at people who have embodied the underlying truth, which is that luck means very little when it comes to success, and that it’s a blend of hard work, ambition and genuine desire to overcome obstacles that will bring glory to those who seek it. This is the foundation on which Josh Safdie builds Marty Supreme, his exceptional solo directorial debut in which we are transported back to New York City in the early 1950s, and introduced to Marty Mauser (loosely based on Marty Reisman), who is slowly making a name for himself in the sport of table tennis, being viewed as a prodigy especially when he is inches away from becoming the world champion. Despite this, once the paddle has been put down, he is forced to return to a working-class life, surrounded by people who simply do not believe that he can make a success out of a sport that they view as an amusing pastime more than an avenue to fame. However, Marty never wavers through all the hardship he endures, remaining confident in his skills and potential, leading to a series of adventures in which he is able to prove his resourcefulness and ability to wrangle himself out of even the most precarious of situations, motivated by the simple desire to be recognised as a master of his chosen profession, by any means necessary. Safdie (along with his brother, who also made his solo debut this year with a film that tackles similar subject matter) has proven himself as an essential voice in contemporary American cinema, and Marty Supreme is possibly his best work to date, a complex and thrilling blend of psychological character study and slapstick comedy, a pairing that works unexpectedly well under his direction. The film is one of the year’s most extraordinary works, an exciting and engrossing adventure that plunges us into this world in a truly unforgettable experience.

Right from the start, we should acknowledge that Marty Supreme is first and foremost a film about sport – this is bound to be divisive, which is why it’s important to address it from the beginning. While it remains a polarising genre for a number of reasons, the sports drama has been wildly successful, particularly since it can appeal to a section of the audience that doesn’t always find themselves actively seeking out films, but will likely be intrigued by the opportunity to see one centering on their interests. Even those who may not find them particularly appealing will understand the popularity, and there are some instances of films centering around various sports that are enjoyed by even the most agnostic of viewers. Safdie had the added challenge of focusing on a sport that is often not taken seriously, at least not in the same way as other more traditional sports. However, he immediately makes it clear that table tennis is just as legitimate as any other and that the participants are exceptional athletes, whose performances can be truly exciting to watch. Marty Supreme is a very funny film, but there is a clear refusal to reduce the central sport to something trivial – at no point does the story make it seem like table tennis should be viewed as a lesser activity, and it goes out of its way to establish itself as something much deeper and more compelling, which is all part of the appeal of the film, and one of the many reasons it feels so fresh and exciting. Most films centered on this particular sport (of which there are few, but enough that we can contrast them with this one) have been broad comedies – and while Marty Supreme is far from a dense drama, it takes the subject seriously enough to be genuinely respectful and engaging, which makes an enormous difference. It’s always obvious when a film is made by someone who has a clear reverence for the subject matter, and in his efforts to show table tennis as a fascinating sport, Safdie removes any doubt that this is a story worth telling. He makes the concept accessible, exciting and genuinely compelling, which is not a small feat, and worth every ounce of praise that it will undoubtedly receive as time progresses, as an intricately well-crafted and entertaining story of a sport rarely represented on screen.

However, it would be foolish to think Marty Supreme was exclusively about table tennis – this is only the context in which the film exists, and while it is a suitably detailed exploration of the sport, Safdie refuses to limit himself to just this aspect of the story, since there is space for much more interesting conversations. Once we look past the sport, we see that this is really a film about the pursuit of greatness and the desire to leave a legacy by any means necessary. We find that a lot of this can be filtered through the subject of the American Dream, which generations of artists have been trying to define in their work, but don’t seem any closer to creating a clear definition of what it entails. This film obviously doesn’t have all the answers, yet it still forms its own unique observations that make it riveting. The foundation is built around an exploration of masculinity at a particular point in the past – it is not a mistake that Safdie set this film in the 1950s, an era often cited as the last bastion of traditional gender roles (which is a foolish assertion in itself, and frequently used as a reason to diminish the progress that has occurred over the years), and centered it on a young man who has everything seemingly handed to him, or at least genuinely believes that he is owed something by a society to which he has only made minor contributions. In terms of literary arcs, Marty Supreme is an absolute masterwork, showing the rise and fall of someone who positions himself on a pedestal, and comes to the stark realisation that he simply cannot go through life feeling so entitled – and it is brilliantly conveyed through both the major events, in which he experiences the ebb and flow of success, as well as the quieter, more intimate moments. The film is constructed as a globe-trotting adventure in which Marty attempts to assert his dominance, but where his own insecurities and vulnerabilities continue to expose themselves the further he gets away from the sheltered existence behind which he hid for many years. The film is not afraid to focus on his arrogance, since this is all part of the hero’s journey in much of classical literature, and Safdie’s decision to feature the simple term “dream big” (both within this film and the marketing that surrounds it) constantly redirects our attention back to the root of the narrative, which is far more complex and interesting than we could have imagined from the outset.

We often find that life can imitate art, or sometimes the inverse. We can easily understand why Safdie developed Marty Supreme as a vehicle for Timothée Chalamet, as well as why the actor was so keen to take on the role. While one would hope that he doesn’t possess the same negative qualities as Marty Mauser, we can see a lot of Chalamet in this character – he has been open about his desire to leave an impression, and when crafting a legacy, ambition is never inappropriate, at least when it comes from a place of genuine desire to make a difference, rather than being showered with glory without doing the work. For nearly a decade since his astronomical rise in Call Me by Your Name, Chalamet has climbed to the top of the industry, rapidly coming to be seen as one of the defining actors of his generation, and much of this is due to his refusal to follow the same trajectory as his peers. Rather than seeking the comfort of franchise roles or particular niches, he has branched out and attempted to work in as many genres as possible, as well as oscillating between arthouse projects and more mainstream fare. Marty Supreme is the result of many years of actively working to define himself as a versatile actor, and it would not be surprising if this becomes his defining role, to the point where it will possibly be viewed as something of a coronation. Partly because Safdie wrote him an extraordinary character, but mostly due to the work he puts into making Marty Mauser such a fascinating figure. This is the very essence of a career-defining performance, a showcase for his full range of talents, some of which we have never seen previously. He is certainly not afraid to play someone who is unlikable, and he actively relishes the chance to portray a character whose arrogance and entitlement brings him very close to his downfall, solely because he and the director share a vision for this story: the only way to truly represent success is to show the treacherous, challenging pathways to get there, since no one succeeds without getting their hands dirty along the way. It’s a complex performance, and one that sees Chalamet finally graduating from playing a specific kind of character, instead taking the first step into what we might consider the next stage of his extremely exciting career. Even those who may have been slightly ambivalent towards some of his recent work (myself included) will find extraordinary merit in this performance, which is by far the best work he has ever done, and could quite possibly be seen as his defining work in the future.

As much as Marty Supreme is a wall-to-wall showcase for Chalamet’s skills, we cannot neglect the sprawling supporting cast, who may not be as notable in what they are given to do, but are just as vital to its success. The central performance would mean nothing if he weren’t paired with actors who could rise to the occasion and join him in crafting these fascinating characters. It’s quite amusing that this is a film about table tennis, since this can be a perfect metaphor for how the film constructs the interactions between characters – a series of conversations in which dialogue is volleyed between Marty and the various people who cross his path. Each character is positioned as a rival in some way, someone who Marty sees as either a tool to be used to further his career or satisfy his self-centered desires, or as an obstacle that he can easily overcome through outsmarting them. It’s a large and eclectic cast with many standouts, some coming from unexpected places. On one side, we have the love interests, which include Gwyneth Paltrow, making a triumphant return to the screen after over a decade of small, relatively forgettable performances, and Odessa A’zion, who boldly announces herself as an incredible new talent and someone who is on the precipice of a major breakthrough, which is very possibly going to come about in the aftermath of this film. Both are exceptional, especially in how they play the only characters who can truly inspire some change in Marty, quietly manipulating him to become a better person by refusing to let him get away with his philandering attitude. On the other side, we have performances by Kevin O’Leary (making his acting debut), Tyler Okonma, Penn Jillette, Fran Drescher, Abel Ferrara, David Mamet and a range of other actors, many unexpected in such a film, but where their presence adds a layer of intrigue, as they are playing very specific kinds of characters. It’s unclear why Safdie approached so many people who are not known for acting, but it’s a decision that works, contributing to the thorny, unconventional tone that drives Marty Supreme, a film that makes exceptional use of its actors across the board, not only as a vehicle for its star, but as a mosaic of eccentric personalities that only enrich the story and make it more compelling.

One of the many reasons the Safdie Brothers’ films proved so successful in the past is that they focus on emotions in addition to the stories. It is not enough to have a strong narrative, since the only way to communicate some of these complex ideas is by allowing the audience to forge a meaningful relationship with these characters. Tonally and structurally, Marty Supreme is an exceptional piece of cinema, a dynamic, fast-paced blend of comedy and drama perfectly balanced to create a complex, engaging depiction of this young man as he voyages throughout the world, discovering that he cannot achieve greatness on skill alone, since while some have been able to, these are exceptions rather than the rule. His emotional journey is just as important as the physical one, and the film makes an effort to explore how Marty deals with his brief flirtations with fame, as well as his constant efforts to succeed in a world which he is gradually realising doesn’t owe him anything. It’s in these moments that Safdie reveals the core themes that drive this film – this isn’t solely about a table tennis prodigy wanting to be the greatest in his field, but rather someone navigating the ambiguous space between stages of his lives. When the film starts, Marty has barely outgrown his adolescent years, mostly a result of his refusal to actually take the necessary steps to maturing, but by the end, he has progressed to the point where he has actually made something of himself, despite very little tangible success, or at least not the kind that he expected at the outset. Marty Supreme runs the gamut of emotions, being as funny as it is dramatic, and there are even some moments where we feel the terror and despair that he experiences after getting himself into some precarious situations. It’s a masterful example of how tone can be a powerful narrative tool, especially when it is responsible for defining a lot of the story and its underlying intentions. The constant refusal to resort to heavy-handed emotions, while still being able to touch on so many complex themes, is one of several reasons that Marty Supreme is an extraordinary work, and while there are some moments where it plays to the rafters, it is an intentional choice designed to help us understand the character, leading to a climax in which every bit of disdain and frustration we had for him suddenly evaporates and we can truly understand the underlying themes that were always the focus of this story.

Beyond the narrative and tonal elements, Marty Supreme is a genuinely well-crafted film, with Safdie putting an astonishing amount of energy into the practical aspects of filmmaking. The overlapping concepts that drive this film are strong, and the performances are obviously brilliant – but it’s the director’s ability to bind everything together in a way that is dynamic and daring that truly makes it a masterpiece. Considering he has been at the helm of several exceptionally well-made films, it’s not surprising that his work here would be stellar, but the extent to which he goes to realise these ideas is still astonishing. Purely on its aesthetic, we find a lot of value in how Safdie constructs this film – the period-specific detail in both the art direction and production design is some of the best we’ve seen in years, not only in how it transforms New York City into a very particular version of itself from the past, but where it also doesn’t present it as some navel-gazing elegy to the good old days – there is grime and debris galore throughout this film, and every frame feels rich in details that immediately let us suspend disbelief and just allow ourselves to be transported to the past. The cinematography by Darius Khondji is extraordinary, capturing the many different locations that serve as the stage for the protagonist’s adventures – and the gritty aesthetic evoking some of the most iconic New Hollywood films of the 1970s, works that made stars out of ordinary working actors simply by knowing how to communicate their performances through the camera. The rapid-fire editing (which is done by Safdie and his long-term creative partner Ronald Bronstein, who has edited all of their previous films) is a valuable tool used to create a tense, anxiety-inducing atmosphere that has become a trademark of the Safdies’ work, and which the director is more than happy to lean into in the construction of this film, moving with a pulsating rhythm that is difficult to put into words. Marty Supreme is not only an intellectually stimulating and conceptually rigorous work, but a sensory experience, one that plays on all of our senses as we are thrown into the past, following this young man as he pursues greatness – and while most of this is conveyed through the story, the filmmaking itself is absolutely remarkable, and deserves equal praise along with the other elements that make up this tremendous film.

For decades, scholars and critics have been actively searching for the one work of literature that can be considered the “great American novel”, a label that has almost taken on a folkloric reputation as a result of its widespread discussion and the fact that there seems to be very little (if any) consensus on the likeliest candidate for the title. Similarly, we’ve been searching for the film that captures the entirety of American culture – and while it is by no means definitive on these subjects, Marty Supreme is a superbly crafted, engaging work that explores not only society at the particular time when it takes place, but also how the culture has evolved over the years. Safdie has made a film that says as much about society in the 1950s as it does about today, a brilliantly crafted piece of reflective filmmaking that masquerades as a period piece, but is so much more complex and engaging when put into practice and viewed from a contemporary lens. This is undoubtedly going to be viewed as one of the defining works of the current decade, for reasons laid out clearly in both this discussion and the many other fascinating pieces that have engaged critically with the film, unravelling its countless nuances and presenting them in a way that makes it clear what Safdie was aiming to achieve. It is a very long film, clocking in at 150 minutes, but at no point does it feel like a chore – the fast-paced editing and the exceptionally compelling story are more than enough to justify its length, especially considering it is positioning itself as a picaresque journey of this young man as he leaps around the world, trying to leave a legacy and learning some of life’s most harrowing lessons in the process. Anchored by an extraordinary performance by Chalamet, who is supported by a cast of excellent actors equally committed to realising the core vision of this film, and driven by a range of complex ideas, Marty Supreme is quite simply one of the year’s best – a bold, audacious tale of the quest for success and the price that comes with pursuing greatness. It is a film that rewards repeated viewings and seems positioned as a defining work of the current decade, a sprawling character-based odyssey that sprouts from the simplest ideas, proving to be a staggering achievement in every possible way.