'Marty Supreme' Will Rock Your Nerves Like a Bouncing Ball

Now we know which of the Safdie brothers is more talented, at least in the directing department. While Benny is certainly an impressive actor, his directorial debut was more of a generic Oscar reel for Dwayne Johnson than the hard-hitting film it was trying to be. In almost every aspect where Benny's film The Smashing Machine (which isn't a porno) failed, Josh's picture, Marty Supreme (which isn't a burrito), succeeds, except for the acting. The movie's performances are fine, but are we really to believe a brainiac like Timothée Chalamet is an anti-intellectual athlete? At least the Rock, who extensively played himself, was more convincing in his role than Chalamet. Aside from that minor critique, Chalamet does exactly what's asked of him for the performance.

Marty Supreme is the typical Rocky underdog film, with some grit thrown into a blender that, admittedly, relies on style more than substance. Yet there are many instances in the script where the movie takes us places we aren't expecting, with conclusions that refreshingly don't fit the typical rags-to-riches tale. Marty (Timothée Chalamet) is tempted by wealth. Even giving in to it. But he keeps his dignity. How? That's a spoiler. Marty Supreme is a movie that shows not only how driven competitors are, but also how egotistical and insufferable they can be. Marty comes from an impoverished background, yet he still behaves like an entitled brat. Often, he makes a spectacle of himself to network. His display of confidence nearly gets him killed, but Marty understands that life is ride-or-die.

Being timid won't get you anywhere. You have to be upfront so you're heard. It might piss people off, but you'll get the bigwigs to listen to you for a second. For some people, it may not work out. Confidence and charisma are natural-born gifts. You can gain those two things, but if they're not inherently who you are, you won't thrive as Marty does. Marty's brash nature gets him into bed with an aging movie star (Gwyneth Paltrow) and sets up deals with her nefarious millionaire husband, who's in the cutting-edge business of selling pens. Who better to play a cruel business person than Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary? Josh Safdie enjoys casting non-actors in big roles. Look no further than Kevin Garnett playing himself in Uncut Gems. Many actors, including directors like Abel Ferrara, who you'd think are dead or crippled, appear in this movie, filling it with life.

All of the kinetic energy, characters talking over each other, Daniel Lopatin's psychedelic score, quick cuts, use of film, and shaky cameras are here, where they were missing from Benny's film. Movies like Marty Supreme are why people are fans of the Safdie brothers. There are elements of a conventional sports narrative in Marty Supreme that other films don't carry. MS isn't so much a movie about table tennis as it is a story about the depths of humiliation Americans will go through in order to eat. Marty acts like a hotshot when really he's just blowing smoke. When we see through Marty's lies, the story shifts from a gritty yet predictable inspirational sports tale to a survivalist movie.

The key to success is working harder than everyone else. Not being afraid to embrace yourself, to throw away all your comfort, and to keep moving until the wheels fall off. That attitude is the classic Nike way: a simplistic view of success that negates mental health. But in reality, if you want to thrive, then you must forgo your mental health, as your success will make up for all the trauma you'll put yourself through in order to get ahead in the competition. Sadly, not everyone can achieve that without crashing or burning out.

Marty Supreme is the typical Hollywood production about succeeding in a vitriolic world that wants to keep you down. However, it doesn't end with the type of victory you'd expect. To be an athlete, you have to make sacrifices, which raises the question of whether those life compromises are worth the journey to the top. It is, but it can't take away from the pain of missing out on life events you can never get back.

What could easily be a predictable sports flick turns out to be one of the most energetic films of the year. Its protagonist is kind, but he's also an unlikeable fool who won't stop talking. Timothée Chalamet doesn't have the body of an athlete, even for table tennis. He's thin as a rail, and if he really got into a fight in Dune, he'd be knocked unconscious within a millisecond. With his boyish smugness, Chalamet displays a charm that makes you like him, although you want to see someone wipe that smirk off his face.

For a boring subject like table tennis, Josh Safdie turns the material into a nonstop thrill ride where you'll mostly forget about the movie's monster 2.5-hour length. Some of the film can drag. No matter how loud the music is or how quick the camera pans and jump cuts, some of the story is repetitive chase scenes reminiscent of Good Time and Uncut Gems, but with the tension missing. Still, there's no denying that Marty Supreme is one of the best sports films in years, let alone a euphoric exercise in aesthetics.

Marty Supreme opens on December 25