Title: Marty Supreme
Director: Josh Safdie
Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Odessa A'zion, Kevin O'Leary, Tyler Okonma, Abel Ferrara, Fran Drescher
Where: In theatres near you
Rating: 4 Stars
Josh Safdie’s Marty Supreme unfolds like a fever dream stitched together by caffeine, adrenaline and one man’s unwavering belief that destiny can be negotiated with slick talk and a sharpened table-tennis paddle. The film is set in 1952, but it moves with the nervous energy of someone who has already sprinted three decades into the future. What begins as a modest sports story mutates into a dizzying chronicle of mischief, ambition and spectacular self-sabotage. Safdie drags viewers into a world populated by cramped storefronts, gossiping neighbours, and a protagonist who blurs the line between underdog charm and outright menace.
The narrative slips between farce, tension and emotional yearning with a swagger that recalls vintage New Hollywood, but without their cigarette breaks or breathing spaces. The film is so relentlessly paced that one begins to suspect even the editing room had its own deadline to outrun. And yet, within this carnival of chaos, there is a peculiar warmth. Safdie refuses to romanticise Marty’s antics; instead, he lets the film become a study of human hustle in all its unruly, often exasperating glory. When the screenplay stumbles into predictable sports-film tropes in its final stretch, the disappointment is softened by the sheer audacity of everything that precedes it.
Actors’ Performance
Timothée Chalamet carries the film on a wiry frame and a performance that vibrates with manic vitality. His Marty Mauser is the sort of character who can utter the most absurd bravado while looking moments away from emotional collapse. The camera lingers on his blemishes and twitching impulses, transforming flaws into a vocabulary of vulnerability. He performs with the reckless abandon of a man who has nothing to lose and too much to prove, and the result is by turns hilarious, abrasive and unexpectedly touching.
Gwyneth Paltrow glides into the film with old-Hollywood grace, offering a measured contrast to Marty’s hyperactivity. As Kay Stone, she plays intrigue like a violin, hinting at deeper motives beneath the poise. Odessa A’zion matches the film’s wild energy with a spirited turn as Rachel, the only character capable of matching Marty’s off-kilter schemes. Kevin O’Leary brings a glint of cruelty to the role of a tycoon who treats emotions the way one treats paperwork: something to be signed, sealed, and dismissed. Even the brief cameos, eccentric as they are, melt seamlessly into Safdie’s textured universe.
Music and Aesthetics
Darius Khondji’s cinematography bathes the period setting in grainy warmth, creating a world that feels lived-in rather than museum-curated. The film’s kinetic movement is complemented by Daniel Lopatin’s synth-infused score, which seems deliberately anachronistic. Instead of clashing, the music heightens the sense that Marty’s urgency is out of step with the world around him. Safdie fills the frame with faces that are anything but generic, making the streets feel crowded with stories waiting to be overheard. The resulting aesthetic is messy, vibrant and impossible to look away from.
FPJ Verdict
Overall, this film is messy, bold and irresistibly alive. Safdie turns chaotic ambition into kinetic cinema, powered by Chalamet’s magnetic performance. Its flaws fade against its daring energy, delivering a frantic yet affecting experience.
