Oscar Nominee Film Review: MARTY SUPREME

Go ahead, Timothee Chalamet, clear a space on your mantle for your Oscar.

After having a near-miss at an Oscar with last year’s Bob Dylan Bio-Pic, A COMPLETE UNKNOWN, Chalamet will finally claim this prize as his portrayal of Marty Mauser - a hustling ping pong player in the 1950’s - is, by far, the Best Lead Actor Performance of the year.

If only the movie were that good.

Written and Directed in the same un-relenting style as his earlier film, UNCUT GEMS (the one where Adam Sandler should have been nominated for an Oscar), Josh Safdie has crafted a character in Marty Mauser who is constantly hustling for what he wants/needs, telling whatever untruths, misdirections and lies that he needs to accomplish his ends. And damn the consequences.

And, the consequences - at times - are alarming.

Chalamet, apparently, has been preparing for this role in the same relentless fashion of his character for years, bringing ping pong tables with him on the sets of other films he was shooting (including DUNE and A COMPLETE UNKNOWN) and this work shows. He embodies this narcissitic character with a verve and energy that heretofore has been unseen by those watching a Chalamet performance. He puts all of his considerable skills together to build an unforgettable character.

You won’t like this character…but you also won’t forget him.

Credit goes to Safdie who with this (and UNCUT GEMS) knows how to make this type of relentless, pulse-pounding film putting his hero in situation after situation that any sane person would not get themselves into, but (in this case) Marty can’t help himself. It is a strongly Directed film and Safdie more than deserves his Best Director Oscar Nomination.

Marty is also surrounded by other self-serving characters such as Gwyneth Paltrow’s vain, fading movie star (the best thing she has done in years), musical artist Tyler the Creator as another hustler (who partners with Marty from time-to-time) and Odess A’zion (HELLRAISER) who, unfortunately for her, is in love with Marty.

In an interesting twist for both this actress and a Safdie film, Fran Drescher (TV’s THE NANNY) is toned down into a real person as Marty’s put upon mother.

And, finally, non-actor Kevin O’Leary (one of the Sharks in TV’s SHARK TANK) is surprisingly strong as a wealthy man that Marty constantly has a love/hate relationship with.

A professionally, upper-end made movie as it has been nominated for 9 Oscars (including Best Picture), but, in the end, this film falls down a few notches because there is NO character in this movie to root for. They all are hustlers working on their angles, they just happen to be caught up - from time to time - in Marty’s schemes while trying to fulfill their schemes as well.

Which, if you think about it, is about the most realistic thing a film can show.

Letter Grade: B+

7 1/2 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the BankofMarquis