“Marty Supreme” Featuring Timothée Chalamet: Should Every Athlete Watch This Film? - Athlete Watch

The release of Josh Safdie’s Marty Supreme, starring Timothée Chalamet, has simultaneously captivated audiences and sparked a lot of interesting conversation. Marty Mauser, the movie’s protagonist rises from nowhere, inspiring himself to tackle bigger and better challenges, but while the plot for most sports movies follows the tried-and-tested path of focusing on an underdog creating success against the odds, Marty Supreme instead focuses on the complex psychological mind of an obsessively competitive person.

The sport in focus in Marty Supreme is table tennis, and it’s loosely inspired by the real-world legendary player Marty Reisman. The movie, however, is significant in the context of all sports, because it’s not one about the specific mechanics of ping pong; instead, the main talking points all stem from the win-at-all-costs mentality that is prevalent throughout the movie.

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Viewers of Marty Supreme are taken along on Marty’s journey, which goes from him being a shoe salesman to rattling around underground clubs and hustling people. The spin of the film comes from a high-energy, farcical nightmare style, which helps depict the mental pressures that Mauser is under. From the Lower East Side of New York to London and Tokyo, Mauser’s frenetic and intense journey sees a man who continuously pushes himself to the point of making decisions that aren’t always scrupulous or ethical.

The Fuel in Mauser’s Machine

Timothée Chalamet’s performance in Marty Supreme feels more like a live-wire stage solo than an active role, because there is such a strong focus on his ego. It’s an ego that needs to be constantly fed, and this is the fuel which drives the main character forward from his underdog status to being so well known in table tennis.

Mauser is a man obsessed not so much with money and fame, but about proving to himself that he is, indeed, supreme in the sport of table tennis. He defines his self-worth by his ability not to lose to any opponent, and his overbearing sense of self-belief creates a question that’s central to the movie’s plot - when does self-confidence turn into a self-destructive delusion?

Mauser, who refuses to admit any weakness and plays by whatever rules that are set out for him by those trying to support him, essentially becomes trapped by this ego. This all shows the darker side of sports psychology, where obsessive drive can be damaging as relationships are abandoned and morals become fragile in the pursuit of proving one’s supremacy over others.

This deep exploration of the battle between confidence and ego is one that many athletes may well recognise within themselves. The movie is a stark warning about what can happen to an athlete if they let an inflated ego go unchecked.

The Message

Anyone involved in sports should take a look at Marty Supreme because of this exploration of the darker side of the desire to reach the top. It serves as a good reminder that skills and physical development are hard work, but the ego can be even harder to master.

Possessing ambition is good, but as Marty Supreme shows, there’s internal chaos to be navigated along the way to the top, and this is highlighted in the movie’s climax, where Marty faces a choice between money and searching his soul.

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The Athletic Ego

It’s hard not to be competitive when involved in sports; it’s hard not to tie identity to performance. This is exactly the cage that Mauser builds for himself, because he has no scope for self-analysis, and as his life is defined by his performance levels, a loss can cause devastating erasure of the self.

Mauser’s ego-centric ways and commitment to himself are portrayed in the loneliness of the path that he undertakes, and of life at the top, as friends and familiar are alienated. There’s a huge amount of tension as he constantly faces a duel between being in “hustler” or “professional” mode, something that many athletes will recognise as well.

For many, there is often a struggle in staying true to their roots, while remaining open enough to learn, listen and evolve. Marty Supreme is a must-watch movie for anyone who plays sports competitively, and even those who just like going to the gym, but the message carries over to anyone from any walk of life about the pitfalls of letting the ego take over.