MARTY SUPREME

When Marty makes it to London in time for the British Open, he talks the sports association into sponsoring a suite at the Ritz, promising to usher in a new era for U.S. table tennis by winning the Open in exchange. At the Ritz, he crosses paths with fading actress Kay Stone (Gwyneth Paltrow, 'Avengers: Endgame', 'Sliding Doors') and her wealthy husband Milton Rockwell (Kevin O'Leary, TV's 'Shark Tank'). He's drawn to Rockwell for the potential funding for his table tennis escapades, and to Stone for her once-glamorous star power.

Safdie's gears truly kick in to full power when Marty is sent home after an embarrassing British Open defeat to Japanese player Koto Endo (Koto Kawaguchi). While Marty may be steeped in newfound debt and embarrassment, in classic Safdie protagonist fashion, he has not yet lost a drop of his sheer delusion or general assholeishness. Determined to defeat Koto in the World Championships, his life intertwines dangerously with those around him – a now-pregnant Rachel, his friend Wally (a scene-stealing Tyler Okonma, also known as Tyler the Creator), the crumbling marriage between Stone and Rockwell, and even a stray dog or two.

'Marty Supreme' is relentless. While bearing a 150-minute run time and a morally insufferable protagonist, I was entertained for every minute. Everyone is firing at full throttle – with career-defining performances from the remarkably strong cast to the wonderful production and costume design by Jack Fisk and Miyako Bellizzi, respectively. Paltrow's return to the big screen is triumphant, as she gives a beautifully nuanced performance as the actress Kay Stone, trying to save a once-revered career slipping through her fingers. I was also struck by real-life table tennis player Koto Kawaguchi, who plays Marty's nemesis Koto – his stoic, calm demeanour the antithesis to Chalamet's endlessly chattering Marty.

It is impossible to divorce 'Marty Supreme' as a work from Chalamet as an actor. The marketing campaign will tell you that itself – from a verse on UK rapper Esdeekid's '4Raws' ("It's Timothée Chalamet chillin' / I'm doin' my thing, it's Marty Supreme") to the viral 'Marty Supreme' jacket donned by real-world 'greats' who dreamed big (think LeBron James, Misty Copeland and Michael Phelps). It's a career-defining performance for the actor, and while he's no stranger to being the leading man, this might be his best film yet. It's a career-defining performance for the actor, and while he's no stranger to being the leading man, this might be his best film yet. With a shiny new Golden Globe for Best Actor already in hand, perhaps 'Marty Supreme' will finally be the winning bat for the previously two-time Oscar hopeful. In a time where it's cringe to publicly show any semblance of ambition, 'Marty Supreme' is a breath of fresh air.