As we prepare for the 32nd Actor Awards presented by SAG-AFTRA, Backstage is breaking down this year’s film and television ensemble nominees for your consideration.
Main cast: Odessa A’zion, Sandra Bernhard, Timothée Chalamet, Emory Cohen, Fran Drescher, Abel Ferrara, Penn Jillette, Koto Kawaguchi, Luke Manley, Tyler Okonma, Kevin O’Leary, Gwyneth Paltrow, Géza Röhrig, Larry “Ratso” Sloman
Casting by: Jennifer Venditti
Directed by: Josh Safdie
Written by: Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie
Distributed by: A24
Casting legend Jennifer Venditti deserves as much credit as director Josh Safdie and co-writer Ronald Bronstein for creating the world of “Marty Supreme.” Like the trio’s previous collaborations “Uncut Gems” and “Good Time,” this nerve-shredding table tennis odyssey yanks viewers in with its immediate verisimilitude of time and place, born not only of period-accurate designs, but of memorable faces at every turn.
The 1950s New York City of “Marty Supreme” exists in tandem with its vibrant cast, led by Timothée Chalamet as semi-fictional sports star Marty Mauser (loosely based on real-life figure Marty Reisman), an ambitious con man who embodies the American dream at its most lurid and aspirational. Willing to do or say anything to survive, Marty’s unhinged, fast-talking ploys find him crossing paths with colorful and completely realistic characters, often played by artists with other skill sets. These include rapper Tyler Okonma (aka Tyler, the Creator), filmmaker Abel Ferrara, stage magician Penn Jillette, and (in an especially terrifying turn) businessman and TV host Kevin O’Leary, each of whom flesh out the contours of an environment where performance and hustle go hand-in-hand.
Just as vital to the ensemble are the story’s leading women, who meaningfully challenge Marty’s attempts to use them as steppingstones on his rise. Odessa A’zion, as Marty’s fiery childhood sweetheart Rachel Mizler, brings out the best and worst in him through her doe-eyed desperation. Gwyneth Paltrow makes a triumphant return to the big screen as aging film star Kay Stone, whose loneliness and matter-of-fact disposition allure Marty in equal measure.
Few films this year have felt simultaneously like fairy tales and hyper-realistic depictions of struggle. Across hundreds of speaking parts, every corner of every frame is populated by living, breathing, multidimensional human beings, ensuring that the movie’s sustained chaos remains enveloping for its entire runtime—a feat with few equals.