If you had one shot, or one opportunity, to seize everything you ever wanted in one moment, would you capture it, or just let it slip?
Slim Shady
I’d heard that Timothee Chalamet had a sports drama film coming out that had been nominated for the Oscars. I saw the trailer play before Avatar 2 and was surprised to see Kevin O’Leary in the film. I expected an inspirational biographical film with a redemption storyline.
Boy, was I wrong about it!
Marty Mauser is a Piece of Shit
We’re introduced to Marty, who is working as a salesman, trying to make a few bucks to pay for his flight to London, where he can participate in the TT tournament. Oh, he’s good. Proper prodigy at the game. And is miserable at his day job because of this fact. Because he knows he’s destined for more. So, when he’s denied the money he is owed, he decides to steal it from the person who owes it to him.
And this is the most reasonable he’s gonna do in all of this film.
What are you willing to pay for what you want?
This right here is the crux of this film. What would you be willing to pay to ensure you get to your rightful place at the top of the world? Work your ass off? Hone your talents? Test yourself against the best there is? Hustle your way to the top and pay your dues? Marty does it all.
But what else does Marty do?
Knock up a girl and refuse accountability. Hustle a bunch of guys out of money. Manipulates his sponsors. Smooth talks his way into bed with a retired actress. Negotiates a business deal and fucks over her husband. Kidnaps a dog for reward money and later loses said dog. Tries to rob again. And I’m pretty sure I’ve missed something because at this point, I’ve already made up my mind that this piece of shit will stop at nothing to get what he wants. He comes home a loser from London. And is now a halftime act for a basketball team doing trick shots. And he’s still preaching about going to Japan for the next open while he’s left a trail of consequences.
A condescending, narcissistic asshole. Or, in other words, an aspiring Greatest of All Time!
Which is exactly the point of this film
Okay, to me, it was Marty won’t stop till he gets what he wants. But in Marty’s head, it probably plays out that he will not stop until he gets what he is owed and deserves. It is the kind of self-belief that runs on steroids. And this was a different time, obviously. Like, he did not even hesitate to get spanked by a wooden paddle for the remotest chance of getting on a flight to redeem himself at the Japan Open.
I did not like the character. But I can respect the decisions he made. Even if it’s immoral and things you and I can’t stomach, it is the price Marty was willing to pay for greatness, and only he attests to whether it was worth it all.
A Clusterfuck of Comedic Chaos!
It all came to a head right before the intermission. While I did say clusterfuck, it was all comedic gold!
I have no idea how this film made it past the censor board when lighter films are duking it out in courts. Or maybe, our censor board only cares about Indian Political sentiment. It did give a lot of things the pass here, while James Gunn’s Trunksman suffered a few months back (I’m not sad about it.)
I definitely did not have Penn from Penn & Teller playing a psycho farmer with a gun who’ll kidnap a dog and murder 2 people on my bingo card for movies. And yet, its been struck off in just the first month of the year!
The dynamics Marty had with his friends, his mum, his uncle, and even his ongoing rendezvous with Kay Stone kept us confused about whether this was a drama or a comedy throughout the first half. Hat is off to Josh Safdie. I was aware of your game, but I’ve only seen this and Good Time before. Uncut Gems and Smashing Machine shall be witnessed next.
Marty was always true to himself
But only to himself. Minor spoilers here that stuck with me. So skip over if you’re yet to watch this film. Just after the scene where Penn fires shots at the girl Marty knocked up (Rachel), she is happy for him that he now has the money to get to Japan. She celebrates with him as he drives her to the hospital.
She says I love you. Marty does not reply.
She says she needs him in the delivery ward. Marty tells the nurse he’s not the father but just a friend.
Earlier in the film, when she tries telling him it’s his child, Marty denies and says he cannot, for the love of god settle down.
But.
Once he wins the game in Japan.
Marty makes a beeline for the hospital. Tells the nurse he’s the father. Walks over to Rachel.
The first thing he does is tell her he loves her.
Has he changed for the better?
I do not think so. The way I interpreted it, he had accomplished all that he wanted to. And had now accepted that he was to do what he had to. I did think this until the moment Marty held his baby.
And Marty Supreme broke down at this point.
I guess it is possible he got a change in perspective as to what really matters in this moment.
Let me know your thoughts! See you with the next one!
OH, I LOVED THE SONGS ON THIS FILM! DOPE TRACK LIST. THEY’D EVEN CREDITED BY ERA IN THE CREDITS!
