Marty Supreme (2025) review

Acne-scarred Marty Mauser (Timothée Chalamet) is employed as a shoe salesman in NYC - and is having an affair with married "childhood friend" Rachel (Odessa A'zion) - but what truly matters to him is becoming the best table tennis player in the world, so he "steals" money from his place of employment, flies to Japan, loses to Koto Endo (Koto Kawaguchi), earns some cash working as a novelty act in Europe with acquaintance Kletzki (Géza Röhrig), returns to the States, runs side hustles with taxi driver Wally (Tyler Okonma) and then tries to convince pen magnate Milton Rockwell (Kevin O'Leary) to bankroll him so he can get a rematch against Endo.  Director Josh seems to only know one speed and that is manic, and just like his main character it's a little too ambitious in trying to cram so much into its two-and-a-half hour running time - which includes a few sexual encounters with actress Kay Stone (Gwyneth Paltrow), losing a dog owned by gangster Ezra (Abel Ferrara) and having difficulties with his mother (Fran Drescher) - one might find oneself wishing for it to ease up.  But despite its commitment to being frenzied, it's also memorably eccentric and Chalamet is a remarkable lead - he embodies the obnoxious stereotype of the "American dreamer" (who brags that he "doesn't need help") - and the movie's "point," while a bit trite, remains true in a capitalistic system: ambition and talent are good, but without wealth and connections you'll always be climbing up a continuously sinking ladder.  And the final shot is lovely: welcome to Earth, kid ... your papa's a grifter.