Aaron Ploof
In some films, you root for the hero. With others you cheer for the anti-hero. Then, in a few, the villain becomes the hero. But what about when there isn’t a hero? When there’s no one you can root for? When the main character is a narcissist and never evolves past his ego driven choices? Well, you get Marty Supreme. The film is a technical marvel, with fantastic acting from Timothée Chalamet and the rest of the cast, but what it isn’t is an engaging movie, where you can actually root for the main character. Or any character, at that.
On the Way to Greatness?
Our “hero” in this film is Marty Mauser (Timothée Chalamet), a shoe salesman. He has dreams of making it big as a table tennis player. He plans on winning the British Open, but his ways of going about making his way there are questionable. The shoe store he works at is owned by his Uncle Murray (Larry Sloman), who wants to give him a manager position. Marty hates the idea of selling shoes for the rest of his life. His solution? Rob the store at gunpoint and steal $700 to finance his trip to the competition. But there’s another little problem that will be waiting for Marty when he gets back from the tournament. He’s managed to get his girlfriend, Rachel (Odessa A’zion) pregnant. And their relationship is one of the cheating kinds, as Rachel is already married to Ira (Emory Cohen).
When Marty gets to London, he manages to get a room at the Ritz and boldly seduces actress Kate Stone (Gwenyth Paltrow) who is already married to pen magnate Milton Rockwell (Kevin O’Leary). He invites her to witness his match against Koto Endo (Koto Kawaguchi), a player who just may be Marty’s downfall…
Shooting Yourself in the Foot
If you’re getting the impression that Marty makes poor choices and is insufferably selfish, then you’ve got a basic grasp of the character. After his loss at the championship, he goes home to continue his streak of destroying the lives of the people he claims to care about. From his best friend and fellow hustler Wally (Tyler Okonma) to his mother, to his uncle, and to Rachel, he continually lies, cheats, and manipulates to get his way.
HIs shenanigans continually land him in trouble, and he continues to shoot himself in the foot. Even after being given multiple outs to redeem himself or improve his situation, he only has tunnel vision, his eyes dead set on finding a way to rematch Endo and prove his worth.
The problem with having a main character like Marty is that you’re either actively rooting against him to win or you never manage to identify or sympathize with him in the first place. The characters surrounding Marty aren’t much better people than he is, so there’s nothing to attach to character-wise there either. This lack of identification pulls you out of the narrative and robs you of caring about the events that happen on screen.
A Plot?
Do these events coalesce into a plot? Sort of. Multiple plotlines weave throughout the middle of the film, up until its climax. Pretty much the structure of the movie boils down to events that happen before the tournament, a bunch of random events that happen after Marty’s loss, and then the climax of the film.
Marty’s lack of a character arc means that the events that surround him have no impact on his character, so the plot of the movie (what’s there at least) doesn’t have much of a reason to exist. Or maybe that’s the point…
Unchecked Ambition
Marty’s confidence and disregard for the people around him may be a criticism of his very behavior. The belief that succeeding is worthwhile only because it is succeeding. That the pursuit of victory for only victory’s worth is hollow. Marty is singularly devoted to his purpose, but he doesn’t have much substance in his life other than this one singular pursuit.
He says, “If I believe in myself, the money will follow.” Kate asks him, “What will you do if this whole dream of yours doesn’t work out.” His reply? “That doesn’t even enter my consciousness.” Kate answers with, “Maybe it should.”
This can be seen as a criticism of the American Dream, a statement on the impossibility that all big dreams are possible.
If there is an arc for Marty, it comes within the final few moments of the film, but these aren’t substantial enough for viewers to change their mind about the character, so maybe we are meant to condemn him.
God knows I didn’t like him, and honestly, halfway through the film I was about ready to walk out, as not only did Marty’s ambitions paint him as selfish, the other characters, especially Kate, didn’t fare well either. I couldn’t quite grasp her motivations, or why she let herself be continually swept up in Marty’s messes.
As a Film Though…
As a film though, on a technical level, the movie does succeed. The acting, especially from Chalamet, who plays Marty as a charming, bold, success-driven character is stellar. The tactics he uses to scheme are on full display. Other reviews, like IGN’s, claim that Marty does not lose his likability throughout the film. On the contrary, I find that Marty is never likable. The only reason people fall for his charm is because they do not know his true character.
In short, if you’re looking for a movie that has characters who will earn your sympathy, I’d look elsewhere. These individuals are too selfish to be endearing. You probably won’t be changed by this movie either. But, golly, watching that ping pong ball bounce back and forth sure is fun! On a pure enjoyment factor this film is a
Score: 5/10
Marty Supreme is now playing in theatres nationwide.
Marty Supreme | Official Trailer HD | A24
SUBSCRIBE: http://bit.ly/A24subscribe From writer/director Josh Safdie and starring Timothée Chalamet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Odessa A’zion, Kevin O’Leary, Tyler Okonma, Abel Ferrara, and Fran Drescher.
