Marty Supreme

Benny Safdie and Josh Safdie are brothers who have made two films that I have loved, Goodtime and Uncut Gems (if you haven't seen them, then you have homework). Their films have a relentless manic energy to them - they will stress you out. This year they split up and each made their own films; Benny made The Smashing Machine and Josh made Marty Supreme. Clearly the zany energy comes from Josh, as Marty Supreme, like their first two films, is a rocket, an amusement park ride of the highest order. I was visiting family in Edmonton this holiday season and I was in a bookstore when I overheard the shopkeeper telling another customer that she didn't like Marty Supreme. When I purchased my book I asked her what she didn't like about it. She replied, "It stressed me out." I told her, "That's exactly why I loved it." What's it all about? Timothée Chalamet plays Marty Mauser, an unlikeable shoe salesman who dreams of becoming the world's greatest table tennis player and will stop at nothing to achieve his dream. That's right, you heard me, unlikeable. But maybe the kind of unlikeable that Ferris Bueller is unlikeable (at least according to my brother-in-law - "Hate that guy"). My brother-in-law however liked Marty Mauser just fine - go figure. Marty navigates this journey by lying, cheating, and stealing, by any means necessary. The film itself looks gorgeous. And there is a dog. Catch it in theatres or go rent it at Movies 'N Stuff.