Writer/Director: Josh Safdie
Starring: Timothee Chalamet, Gwyneth Paltrow and Kevin O’Leary
‘A Spectacular Sports Drama’
It’s challenging to maintain friendships in tennis championships. A competitive game involving challengers, tennis requires players to sacrifice friends that represent barriers. On a personal level, I’ve seen friendships in tennis competitions crumble. I recollect forming strong friendships with a companion that loved the tennis racket. Born in New York City, he was taught about importance of sacrificing everything for sports victory. To provide for a poverty-stricken family struggling to make ends meet, he decided to become an athlete. Determined to not disappoint his parents, he sought to achieve a match point in tournaments. Starting as a complete unknown, he spent hours alone practicing to become an athlete in a league of his own. Despite being a strong athlete, however, he wasn’t skilled making friends he would mistreat. Since he spent long hours playing ping pong, he didn’t have time for friends he treated in ways which were wrong. His single-minded focus on championships caused friendships to face rocky hardships. Having the temper of a raging bull, he mistreated his friends in ways which were painful. Preoccupied with achieving victories that left parents satisfied, he pushed his friends aside. As he engaged in a battle of the sexes in every tournament, our bond became distant. His decision to pour blood, sweat and tears into games caused bonds to crumble over years. Busy with a game that required hard work, he ignored my messages on every social network. It became impossible for me to meet with a mean athlete that felt I would cause defeat. No matter how hard I tried to offer him emotional support, he became too obsessed with his favourite sport. Today, I’ve parted way with a friend that became a champion in the U.S.A. If I learned advice, being a tennis player requires sacrifice. Tennis became a symbol of my bond with a friend that pursued greatness. Years later, I treasure a friend that taught me about sacrifices of becoming a tennis player.
As someone treasuring a friend that pursued his supreme dream, I loved “Marty Supreme”. Released in 2025, Josh Safdie’s Oscar-nominated film honoured tennis players. Boasting bold visuals, engaging storytelling and phenomenal acting, it’s a spectacular sports drama. At the centre of it is Timothee Chalamet, who embodies a dedicated tennis player. Although “Marty Supreme” is supreme, it isn’t a flawless film. It’s unevenly paced, lacking satisfying conclusions. Nevertheless, it offers engaging entertainment for fans of sports dramas.
Set in 1950’s New York City, “Marty Supreme” follows a supreme tennis player pursuing a dream. Timothee Chalamet portrays Marty Mauser, a commemorated Jewish tennis player. Supported by girlfriend Rachel (Odessa A’zion), Marty has always loved engaging in nerve-wracking competition. However, Marty’s life changes when he discovers heartbreaking consequences becoming a world-famous player. As he pursues greatness in games of tennis, Marty discovers he must sacrifice friendships causing sadness.
Josh Safdie has always been fascinated with hustlers. His crowd-pleasing film “Uncut Gems” offered powerful portraits of stressed jewellers struggling selling precious diamond gems. With “Marty Supreme”, however, Safdie created his first tennis drama. It’s the filmmaker’s first attempt honouring legendary sports games in American history but he succeeds tremendously. Evoking Luca Guadagnino’s “Challengers”, Safdie effectively uses montages to capture dedicated tennis players. For instance, montages elevates the ping pong championship scene. During this unforgettable scene, Marty showcases love for table tennis in final competitions in Japan. It brought back fond memories of a companion appreciating table tennis shaping his identity. Montages are a tricky technique. As John G. Avildsen’s “Rocky” suggested, montages elevates commemorated boxing movies. Nevertheless, it works immensely in this movie. Using breathtaking visuals, Safdie captures tensions that famous tennis players are experiencing.
Another admirable aspect of “Marty Supreme” that merits appreciation is the production. From a technical perspective, it’s one of the most impressive films about tennis you will see. Evoking Reinaldo Marcus Green’s “King Richard”, Safdie effectively uses real-life tennis training to honour a game that’s treasured. Safdie’s decision to have the actors play tennis for real rather than use stunt doubles is risky but works immensely. It lends authenticity to the film absent from most sports movies. For instance, tennis training elevates the game scene. During this unforgettable scene, Marty engages in intense games of table tennis with his friend. It reminded me of my strong bond with a friend that loved playing a game which he appreciated. Moreover, the musical score is magnificent. Daniel Lopatin’s music gives the movie an intense atmosphere capturing burden tennis players bear. Through stunning production, Safdie honours a tennis competition.
Storytelling is one of the main reasons why “Marty Supreme” is a sports movie that’s engaging. In Hollywood, most movies about tennis rarely address stress faced by athletes that are determined to achieve success. As a case in point, Woody Allen’s “Match Point” depicted tennis players achieving a match point without any chances to disappoint. Thankfully, however, “Marty Supreme” avoids pitfalls. Evoking Martin Scorsese’s “Raging Bull”, Safdie effectively uses dramatic monologues to capture how friendships in tennis aren’t successful. For instance, monologues elevates the argument scene. During this heartbreaking scene, Marty has tense arguments with his girlfriend he believes is distracting him from his tennis tournament. It reminded me of my conflicted relationships experiencing arguments with a friend that focused on tennis championships. Dramatic monologues are complicated techniques. As Luca Guadagnino’s “Call Me By Your Name” demonstrated, monologues elevate movies about queer love. Nevertheless, they work in this movie. Through a spectacular screenplay, Safdie honours a game that’s beloved today.
One appreciates amazing performances.
Timothee Chalamet delivers a career-defining performance as Marty Mauser. This is the actor unlike you’ve ever seen him before: intense, charismatic and emotional in his most memorable role. It’s a demanding role that required the actor to learn tennis but he succeeded. Evoking Steve Carell in Valerie Faris’ “Battle of the Sexes”, Chalamet embodies a tennis player in a battle of the sexes. With riveting expressions, he captures ambition, jealousy and grief of a tennis player. It’s a terrific performance from a promising young actor.
While the movie is a showcase for Chalamet, the supporting cast is excellent and deserving appreciation. Gwyneth Paltrow is phenomenal, capturing sorrow of an actress that has an affair with a tennis champion with dreams to follow. Odessa A’zion is outstanding, embodying a woman that faces rejection from her lover turned tennis champion. Lastly, Kevin O’Leary merits appreciation. As a businessman, he is unforgettable.
Despite its extraordinary performances, however, “Marty Supreme” can’t honour a commemorated profession that’s supreme. Safdie’s decision to integrate sexual subplots about affairs into the movie is bold but hinders the pacing. Therefore, scenes focusing on Marty’s sexual affair with a actress aren’t as engaging as his tennis career. As James Mangold’s “A Complete Unknown” suggested, subplots about affairs elevate biopics about musicians. Moreover, the film lacks a compelling ending. It’s an ambiguous conclusion that offers unearned redemption. Whereas this ambiguous ending elevated David Fincher’s “The Social Network”, it clashes with tone of this movie. At worst, the ending suggests tennis players can easily maintain friendships in the profession. Therefore, “Marty Supreme” can’t quite honour a sport athletes adore.
Nevertheless, fans of Timothee Chalamet will appreciate “Marty Supreme” and so would movie-goers seeking exhilarating entertainment. A spectacular sports drama, it proves that Cinema is a powerful medium honouring a game requiring high stamina.
A spectacular tribute towards a supreme game in which friendships are destructive, it’s a strong reminder that movies are an effective art that can be used to tell stories of tennis players determined to accomplish an objective.
As powerful as Marty’s love for table tennis, it has motivated me to recover many years after loneliness of parting way with a companion that didn’t always treat his friends with kindness whose pursuit of greatness in fitness gave me lifelong appreciation for a commemorated game that contributes to my happiness.
4/5 stars
The Film Buff 