MOVIE OF THE MONTH
MARCH ‘26
MOVIE OF THE MONTH
MARCH ‘26
MARTY SUPREME
Directed by Josh Safdie | 2025 | 150 min
“I have a purpose… If you think that's some kind of blessing, it’s not.”
The date of the 2026 Oscars, March 15, 2026, ought to live in infamy for cinephiles everywhere. The best film of 2025, and possibly the film of the 2020s so far, was left without a single award for any of its 9 nominations. The film, of course, is Marty Supreme.
Marty Supreme is a daring, maximalist, action-drama that follows the fictional 1950s table tennis player Marty Mauser, played by Timothee Chalamet, as he seeks to become a world champion and dodges trouble with mobsters and lovers along the way. Marty loses at a table tennis tournament in London, and then spends much of the film trying to raise enough money to fly to Tokyo to rematch his opponent Endo and redeem himself.
There are very few films in my life that I felt compelled to watch in the theater more than once, but Marty Supreme undoubtedly deserved this distinction.
The film is written and directed by Josh Safdie and thus contains many typical Safdie characteristics. Good Time, Uncut Gems, and Marty Supreme are all set in New York City and follow a hectic protagonist who is constantly on the run. In Good Time, the protagonist is a robber fleeing from the police. In Uncut Gems, the protagonist is a gambling-addicted jeweler fleeing from loan sharks.
Both Good Time and Uncut Gems are stellar, but Marty Supreme reigns supreme. It keeps the gorgeous cinematography, ethereal score, rapid pace, bizarre plot events, and morally-questionable characters of these earlier Safdie projects, but it goes even deeper by giving its main character an identifiable, underlying motivation. Behind all of Marty Mauser’s wild antics is his desire to be great. It’s Marty’s tunnel vision on table tennis that causes him to lose a mobster’s dog, triggering a chaotic cascade of events. And that same tunnel vision leads Marty to repeatedly avoid, abandon, steal from, and trick various family members and friends.
Timothee Chalamet gives an incredible, captivating performance as Marty Mauser – one which any just universe would have deemed deserving of Best Actor. Chalamet proves his range by transforming into someone more greasy and rugged than his usual roles. Part of the success of Chalamet’s performance might come from the fact that Chalamet in real life is a Marty-eque personality. Chalamet said at the 2025 SAG Awards (after winning for A Complete Unknown), “I know we’re in a subjective business, but the truth is, I’m really in pursuit of greatness … I want to be one of the greats. I’m inspired by the greats.”
Each of the other actors is also perfectly cast. Gwyneth Paltrow is an aging starlet who plays an aging starlet. Kevin O’Leary is a tough, obnoxious businessman who plays a tough, obnoxious businessman. The other actors who excel in this film (many of whom are not even actors) include Odessa A’Zion, John Catsimatidis, Tyler the Creator, Fran Drescher, and Penn Jilette.
This is a film that forces viewers to look closely at themselves and where they are headed in life. At one point in the film, Marty tells his lover Rachel, “I have a purpose. You don't. If you think that's some kind of blessing, it's not. It puts me at a huge life disadvantage. It means I have an obligation to see a very specific thing through. And with obligation comes sacrifice, okay?” These harsh words beg the question: do only a select few people have an innate purpose? Can one know what one’s purpose is? Can one’s purpose be to excel at something as seemingly-silly as ping pong? I left the theater questioning my purpose, wanting to be great, and wondering what sacrifices I have yet to make to achieve this greatness.
SPOILER ALERT PAST THIS POINT:
Ultimately, Marty makes it to Tokyo, but he is not allowed to compete because of his spending-related violations at the previous London tournament. While the real, long-awaited tournament is no longer an option, Marty decides to participate in an exhibition match against Endo, where he is expected to throw the match. He initially does, but then changes his mind and decides that he wants a genuine match against Endo. When he wins, he collapses on the ground, completely drained and proud of himself. As with the 1976 classic Rocky, the protagonist’s pride is not simply about winning the official award; it’s about reaching self-actualization.
Marty Supreme may not have won any Academy Awards, but it is nevertheless a work of greatness that will stand the test of time.
- AJ
MARTY SUPREME
Directed by Josh Safdie
2025 | 150 min
“I have a purpose… If you think that's some kind of blessing, it’s not.”
The date of the 2026 Oscars, March 15, 2026, ought to live in infamy for cinephiles everywhere. The best film of 2025, and possibly the film of the 2020s so far, was left without a single award for any of its 9 nominations. The film, of course, is Marty Supreme.
Marty Supreme is a daring, maximalist, action-drama that follows the fictional 1950s table tennis player Marty Mauser, played by Timothee Chalamet, as he seeks to become a world champion and dodges trouble with mobsters and lovers along the way. Marty loses at a table tennis tournament in London, and then spends much of the film trying to raise enough money to fly to Tokyo to rematch his opponent Endo and redeem himself.
There are very few films in my life that I felt compelled to watch in the theater more than once, but Marty Supreme undoubtedly deserved this distinction.
The film is written and directed by Josh Safdie and thus contains many typical Safdie characteristics. Good Time, Uncut Gems, and Marty Supreme are all set in New York City and follow a hectic protagonist who is constantly on the run. In Good Time, the protagonist is a robber fleeing from the police. In Uncut Gems, the protagonist is a gambling-addicted jeweler fleeing from loan sharks.
Both Good Time and Uncut Gems are stellar, but Marty Supreme reigns supreme. It keeps the gorgeous cinematography, ethereal score, rapid pace, bizarre plot events, and morally-questionable characters of these earlier Safdie projects, but it goes even deeper by giving its main character an identifiable, underlying motivation. Behind all of Marty Mauser’s wild antics is his desire to be great. It’s Marty’s tunnel vision on table tennis that causes him to lose a mobster’s dog, triggering a chaotic cascade of events. And that same tunnel vision leads Marty to repeatedly avoid, abandon, steal from, and trick various family members and friends.
Timothee Chalamet gives an incredible, captivating performance as Marty Mauser – one which any just universe would have deemed deserving of Best Actor. Chalamet proves his range by transforming into someone more greasy and rugged than his usual roles. Part of the success of Chalamet’s performance might come from the fact that Chalamet in real life is a Marty-eque personality. Chalamet said at the 2025 SAG Awards (after winning for A Complete Unknown), “I know we’re in a subjective business, but the truth is, I’m really in pursuit of greatness … I want to be one of the greats. I’m inspired by the greats.”
Each of the other actors is also perfectly cast. Gwyneth Paltrow is an aging starlet who plays an aging starlet. Kevin O’Leary is a tough, obnoxious businessman who plays a tough, obnoxious businessman. The other actors who excel in this film (many of whom are not even actors) include Odessa A’Zion, John Catsimatidis, Tyler the Creator, Fran Drescher, and Penn Jilette.
This is a film that forces viewers to look closely at themselves and where they are headed in life. At one point in the film, Marty tells his lover Rachel, “I have a purpose. You don't. If you think that's some kind of blessing, it's not. It puts me at a huge life disadvantage. It means I have an obligation to see a very specific thing through. And with obligation comes sacrifice, okay?” These harsh words beg the question: do only a select few people have an innate purpose? Can one know what one’s purpose is? Can one’s purpose be to excel at something as seemingly-silly as ping pong? I left the theater questioning my purpose, wanting to be great, and wondering what sacrifices I have yet to make to achieve this greatness.
SPOILER ALERT PAST THIS POINT:
Ultimately, Marty makes it to Tokyo, but he is not allowed to compete because of his spending-related violations at the previous London tournament. While the real, long-awaited tournament is no longer an option, Marty decides to participate in an exhibition match against Endo, where he is expected to throw the match. He initially does, but then changes his mind and decides that he wants a genuine match against Endo. When he wins, he collapses on the ground, completely drained and proud of himself. As with the 1976 classic Rocky, the protagonist’s pride is not simply about winning the official award; it’s about reaching self-actualization.
Marty Supreme may not have won any Academy Awards, but it is nevertheless a work of greatness that will stand the test of time.
- AJ
