Marty Supreme
Click the pic below for my FOX19 review of Marty Supreme!
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Marty Mauser (Timothée Chalamet), a young man with a dream no one respects, goes to hell and back in pursuit of greatness.
STORY: D
This underdog needs to stay outside.
Marty Supreme’s script screams “Safdie.” It’s got relentless pacing, a crucible of sinister obstacles, and just for kicks, a compound fracture.
It also has an unlikable character fidgeting in the center of its manic orbit. Marty’s pursuit of his dream is admirable, but he leaves a trail of used friends and wrecked relationships in his wake in order to chase it.
Uncut Gems’s Howard Ratner and Good Time’s Connie Nikas aren’t going to win any citizen of the year awards, but I found myself rooting for them because even though they weren’t doing well, I believed they were doing the best they could.
More than the Safdie’s other protagonists, Marty feels like a guy who knows exactly what he’s doing. That makes him a tougher guy to root for. We don’t care whether he reaches his dreams or not. That fact waylays not just the film’s ending, but the picture as a whole.
PEOPLE: A-
Marty bad. Timothée good. Very good.
The character may not be likable, but he’s definitely watchable. Marty is all id, a hungry ghost who won’t ever be satisfied until he gets what he wants. Every time he kisses a woman it looks like he’s trying to gobble her up.
Chalamet has made it known in no uncertain terms that his ultimate goal is to win an Oscar. He may have done so with this performance. Will one be enough for him? We’ll have to wait and see how similar he and his Supreme alter-ego are.
The rest of the cast is tremendous, in particular Odessa A’zion and a surprising Kevin O’Leary.
FILM NERD STUFF: B
Impeccable production design and a wild soundtrack combine for an unforgettable experience.
The production team recreates the New York City of 70 years ago with such realism, you can smell the garbage strewn at the feet of the classic 1950s cars.
Doo-wop takes a back seat to classic anthems of the 1980s. Tears for Fears bookends the film. New Order and Peter Gabriel, and other giants of the decade pop up in between. Be warned: you may never listen to Alphaville’s “Forever Young” the same way again.
The recurring disconnect between what you see and what you hear creates a tension that nicely complements the film’s frenzied nature.
ONE BIG LESSON: C+
Chase your dreams, but don’t forget your soul.
Goals are good. Dreams make life worth living. And if they’re worth chasing, they’ll require some sacrifice. But what types of sacrifices are you willing to make? Which sacrifices will hurt you more than never reaching your dream?
As much as you want that thing you’re chasing, keep in mind that after you’ve caught it, you still need to wake up the next day and go on with life. It’s a good idea to keep tabs on the price you’re paying for your dreams and not over-draw your account.
FINAL COMMENTS:
Safdie fans and Chalamet fans will delight in the film’s many treasures. The sets, the music, the acting (everything but the script, actually) are all fantastic.
Despite considering myself a Safdie and Chalamet fan, I don’t think the film totally works. That’s probably because I’m a fan of lovable underdog stories as well. The film believes Marty Mauser is a guy worth rooting for. I’m not sure I agree.