Marty Supreme Review – Timothée Chalamet Smashes It in Josh Safdie’s Dizzying Screwball Ping-Pong Spectacle
Los Angeles, CA — Director Josh Safdie returns with a feverish, full-tilt comedy that turns the sport of table tennis into a chaotic meditation on fame, ego, and obsession. In Marty Supreme, Timothée Chalamet delivers one of his wildest performances yet — a manic, high-voltage portrayal of a hustler who treats ping-pong like a matter of life and death.
The film, clocking in at 149 minutes, plays like a ping-pong rally with no break in sight — a blur of laughter, anxiety, and absurdity. Critics have already hailed it as one of Safdie’s most ambitious and unhinged works to date.
A Ping-Pong Hustler on the Edge
Chalamet stars as Marty Mauser, a wiry, fast-talking Jewish shoe salesman in 1950s New York with dreams of international glory. Inspired by real-life table tennis champion Marty “The Needle” Reisman, Marty is equal parts showman and schemer — a self-promoting whirlwind desperate to patent his own brand of table tennis balls: the “Marty Supreme.”
Marty’s life spirals into a series of wild, self-inflicted disasters. He juggles an affair with his married childhood sweetheart Rachel (played by Odessa A’zion), clashes with bigots, and hustles his way into a trip to London for the world championships — where his antics scandalize British journalists and leave destruction in his wake.
Gwyneth Paltrow’s Triumphant Return
In a surprise comeback, Gwyneth Paltrow plays Kay Stone, a retired film star whose allure captures Marty’s obsessive imagination. Their dynamic — sensual, comic, and deeply psychological — gives the film emotional depth beneath its screwball surface. Paltrow, described by critics as “amusing and sensual,” provides the perfect counterweight to Chalamet’s frenzied narcissism.
Supporting roles include Kevin O’Leary as Kay’s bigoted husband Milton and Géza Röhrig (Son of Saul) as Béla, a Hungarian-Jewish camp survivor who becomes Marty’s uneasy ally. Their storylines collide in a crescendo of chaos and humiliation that’s equal parts farce and tragedy.
Josh Safdie’s Signature Frenzy
Safdie, known for Uncut Gems, brings his trademark sensory overload to Marty Supreme. Every scene hums with nervous energy — a whirlwind of deals, arguments, racist tirades, erotic misadventures, and emotional meltdowns.
But unlike typical sports dramas, Marty Supreme never pretends to be about winning or training. There are no mentors, no motivational speeches — just a relentless rhythm that mirrors the manic back-and-forth of ping-pong itself.
As critic Peter Bradshaw noted, “The film is itself ping pong — dizzying, hypnotic, and impossible to look away from.”
A Wild Mix of Chaos and Charm
The film’s tone swings between slapstick comedy and psychological breakdown, with Chalamet anchoring it through sheer charisma and physicality. His twitchy, live-wire performance channels both desperation and innocence, creating a protagonist who is infuriating yet strangely sympathetic.
Paltrow’s presence lends elegance and introspection to the madness. “She sees what Marty is up to and understands him better than he does himself,” wrote one reviewer — a statement that encapsulates the film’s tragicomic brilliance.
A Frenzied Masterpiece
By the film’s end, audiences may feel as exhausted as Marty himself — a dizzy, exhilarating experience that leaves the head spinning. Yet beneath the noise and chaos, Safdie manages to craft something deeply human: a story about ambition, loneliness, and the absurdity of chasing greatness.
Marty Supreme releases December 25 in the U.S., December 26 in the U.K., and January 22 in Australia.
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