‘Marty Supreme’ : Zippy, edgy drama

Josh Safdie’s solo directorial ‘Marty Supreme’ is set in London in 1952, and is about Marty Mauser (Timothee Chalamet), a young man with a dream, willing to go the distance in pursuit of greatness.

This is a unique story presented in a refreshing way. Marty is a complex character and is not presented in a sympathetic way; yet, you can’t help getting involved in his foibles and want him to achieve his goal. The audiences might find him loathsome but it won’t stop them from appreciating his gall and they will, in all likelihood, stay invested. Chalamet’s terrific performance has a lot to do with that.

Marty is a charming fast-talker who is both divisive and provocatively ensnaring.

The prologue invites us into Marty’s life. He is a table tennis champion who barely makes ends meet working at an NYC shoe store. He is sexually involved with an old friend and neighbour Rachel (Odessa A’zion), who is married to a wildcat, Ira (Emory Cohen).

Marty goes for a championship, lives kingsize, upgrades his room to the Ritz and blames the organisers for the snafu. He sees former box office queen Kay Stone (Gwyneth Paltrow) walking through the lobby of the hotel and is drawn to her. He smartly talks his way into Kay’s life (and bed) while coordinating business deals with her husband, Milton (Kevin O’Leary). But he loses the championship, becomes an object of ridicule and returns to New York in debt to discover that Rachel is pregnant.

Safdie uses prominent faces from TV and OTT circles to keep Marty in the thick of things. This is an anxiety-ridden character study replete with shaky camerawork and an unhinged momentum while music from the ’80s (Public Image Ltd, Peter Gabriel, Tears for Fears, etc) filters in. It’s a disorienting experience but the pace is speedy and the manic energy keeps you captivated.

The matches are staged decently but there is nothing much to gasp about. The sequence where Rachel and Marty go looking for a dog feels out of place. Nevertheless, a series of interwoven plot lines build up a heavy atmosphere and the synth pop/rock soundtrack sets the mood for a weird but satisfying experience.

The mesmeric push and pull of competition and Marty’s sexual proclivities add to the tension and make his story compelling. The story is twisty and the treatment generates a restless energy that hooks you. The intense tempo, unpredictable plotting, music choices and confounding visuals elevate the experience.

Timothee Chalamet delivers a performance that is nervy, emotional, edgy, and uncooked. He is so riveting it’s hard to take your eyes off him. Even so, Odessa A’zion manages to grab some of the attention with a childlike naivete along with Paltrow, who plays the fading star to a nicety.

The writing and dialogue sound real. Even though the runtime is way too long, the film manages to grip you. The zippy pace, outstanding production design, fascinating cinematography and unique storytelling craft keep you absorbed and interested.