Displaying items by tag: Abel Ferrara

MARTY SUPREME

US, 2025, 159 minutes, Colour.

Timothee Chalamet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Odessa A’zion, Kevin O'Leary, Tyler Okonma, Abel Ferrara, Luke Manley, Geza Rohring, Koto Kawaguchi, Penn Jilette, David Mamet, Fred Hechinger, Levon Hawke, Fran Drescher, Emory Cohen, Sandra Bernhard.

Directed by Josh Safdie.

This is not the most modest of titles! And modesty is not a word associated with the central character, New Yorker, in his 20s, the 1950s, Marty Mauser. The film opens with Marty unwillingly working in a shoe shop owned by his uncle. But then the reveal, that Marty is something of a champion table tennis player. (While there are many sport films, it is something of a surprise to find such a big budget entertainment focusing on table tennis, some wonderfully filmed games, fast, lightning flash, some acrobatics, quite a sport!).

Timothee Chalamet has been nominated for awards for his performance. He has had extraordinary success on screen for almost 20 years, his range most recently including Willy Wonka, Paul Atreides in the Dune films, and Bob Dylan. His Marty Mauser is an entirely different character and Timothee Chalamet offers an exhilarating performance.

As we watch Marty and his manipulations to get himself to London for the British tournament, conning people, taking money, not worried about consequences, we realise that on the surface, he can be quite beguiling but the real Marty? Borrowing from another reviewer who listed some of his characteristics: a young man who is at once charming, a rogue, a hustler, arrogant, likeable, infuriating, flamboyant flair, driven and supremely confident. We spent 2 ½ hours in his company.

And, there is a lot going on, his approach to ageing film star, Gwyneth Paltrow, seductive, offering advice for her stagecraft, but still stealing her necklace. Then there is her husband, a wealthy CEO for a pen company, proposals for a PR table tennis match in Japan, Marty versus the top Japanese player, fake defeat – but then Marty makes some sort of self-assertion.

Meanwhile, Marty’s married girlfriend, Rachel, is pregnant. Marty clashes with his mother, Fran Drescher, goes to a hotel, told not to use the bath, then its crashing through the roof on top of a mobster, played by director, Abel Ferrara, and some complications, ultimately quite violent, in the search for his runaway dog. One never knows what tangle Marty will be caught up in next.

The film was actually based on the real-life Marty Reisman and his 1974 autobiography, The Money Player: The Confessions of America's Greatest Table Tennis Champion and Hustler. The film stays in the 1950s but it is worth Googling Marty Reisman who was still playing table tennis in the 1990s and lived into the 21^st-century.

There is a great deal to enjoy while watching Martin Supreme, the star performance, the complications of the character who is able to move chameleon-like from one situation to the next, even capitalising on failures, always with the smart word, unscrupulous in manipulating even his closest friends, with a huge ambition to be the best in his chosen vocation of table tennis. He is a rogue who can get away with anything even when he is losing.

But, the filmmakers chose several endings for the film, some realistic, some surreal, deciding not to take Marty beyond the 1950s – but, to audience relief in some ways, an unexpectedly gentle finale.

The screenplay has been co-written and directed by Josh Safdie who used to make films with his brother Ben, who made the 2025 wrestling sports film, The Smashing Machine.

1. Based on a true story, the 1950s, Marty’s subsequent careers?
2. The title and tone, Marty and his ego, con man, charm, exploiting people?
3. The table tennis film, audience interest, the game, players, competitions, post World War II, Japan?
4. The introduction to Marty, his age, moustache, selling shoes, interaction with the customer, the encounter with Rachel, his uncle, his fellow worker, the offer to be manager, his refusal? Lloyd and the money, the gun, taking the money?
5. Marty, his family, distance, home, the scenes with his mother?
6. The production of the table tennis balls, with Marty Supreme? Dion, his enthusiasm, the uncle, Dion and his support?
7. Marty, getting to London, in the competition, his skill, reputation, his goals? The encounter with the competition manager, the accommodation, going to the hotel, his presumptuous demands? The encounter with Kay, the phone call, talk, her husband, the CEO of the company?
8. His games with the former champion, his history and a concentration camp, friendship?
9. Meeting Kay, her career, her marriage, the sexual encounter?
10. With Rockwell, intruding into his office, the talk, the proposal about the exhibition match?
11. The encounters with Endo, his skill, ordinary worker, death, Communications? Winning?
12. The ups and downs of the proposal, the championship, integrity, promotion? Marty and his associate, there vaudeville performances with the Harlem Globetrotters?
13. Back to New York, the police, Rachel and her pregnancy, her angry husband?
14. The friendship with Wally, driving the taxi, the table tennis group, the old hotel, told not to use the bath, its collapse?
15. Ezra, the mobster, his dog, the bar falling on him, the dog, the promise to take the dog to the vet, in the car, Marty at the bowling alley, hustling, the money, going to the gas station, the attack, the damage to the taxi, the garage fire? The dog running away?
16. Kay, the play, the rehearsals, the director, the actor, Marty intruding, offering his advice? Taking the necklace, trying to pawn it? The sexual encounter, Kay telling him it was costume jewellery? The offer to give him another necklace?
17. Dion, Marty’s sponging on him, with Rachel, the accommodation? Taking his car, searching for the dog, the house in the countryside, the man with the gun, the shooting, the car crash? Dion angry, throwing away all the ping-pong balls?
18. The encounter with Kay, in the park, police, the bad reviews, Kay returning, not able to see Marty?
19. Rockwell, Marty trying again for the competition, the humiliating episode of the literal spanking?
20. Ezra, kidnapping, Marty and Rachel with the fake dog, going to the farm, the shootout and deaths, Rachel wounded? Discovering the fake reward paper, impact? Rachel, the injuries and her husband, going into labour, the hospital, giving birth?
21. At the hospital with Rachel, the split second timing to get on the plane to go to Japan, the issue of the fine, his not being allowed entry into the competition? The clash with the official?
22. The exhibition, going according to plan, his loss, the humiliation, the humiliation of kissing the pig, the Japanese crowd? His dignity, willing to play a proper game?
23. The rematch, the tension, US military support, Marty winning, on the plane home with them?
24. The end, hospital, with his mother, Rachel, the baby, holding it – and his tears? Prospects for Marty’s future?

THE ADDICTION

US, 1995, 82 minutes, Black-and-white.

Lili Taylor, Christopher Walken, Annabella Sciorra, Edie Falco, Paul Calderon, Katherine Erbe, Michael Imperioli, Robert W. Castle.

Directed by Abel Ferrara.

The Addiction is a significant film in the career of Abel Ferrara. In independent filmmaker, eccentric, Catholic background and frequent Catholic themes, an addict himself.

After small budget violent films, he was recognised in the 1980s as a significant film maker. And, especially during the 90s, with such well-received films, Bad Lt, The Funeral as well as The Addiction, he was able to make some studio films as well is to continue on his own way.

He also drew on several actors in many films including Christopher Walken and Harvey Keitel.

This short feature, filmed in black and white, goes to the New York streets, to the University, to hospitals. It focuses on a young woman played by Lili Taylor, studying philosophy, an encounter with a vampire, played by Anna biller surer, and transformed into a dark vampire, then praying and transforming others, erratic behaviour, sexual, stealing, preying on people in the streets.

She encounters reforming vampire, played by Christopher Walken, who takes her in, tries to help her, getting her to read William Burroughs’ The Naked Lunch, helping her to get her PhD.

However, in the celebratory party, with many guests, she lets loose, transforming the party into a kind of vampire blood orgy. But then, she wanders the streets, goes to a hospital, a visit by a priest for the last sacraments and The attic.

Finally, she visits her own grave, and the question whether she has been redeemed or continue to be part of the living dead.

1. The title, expectations? Abel Ferrara and his own addictions? His life, memories, possibilities for change and redemption?
2. The effect of black-and-white photography, New York City, the University, the streets, the dark world, academia, the party, the hospital? The musical score?
3. Vampire films, the traditions? Transferred to the United States? The LOI ready, blood, the living dead, biting and killing? Possibilities for overcoming the condition? The range of characters that arise here?
4. The religious themes, Ferrara and his Catholic background, evil, sin, repentance, redemption? And the priest visiting Kathleen in hospital?
5. Kathleen, her age, studies, her thesis, the encounter with Casanova, her being transformed? In the dark, needing blind, HIV fears in the 1990s, the hospital, her anaemia?
6. Her changing character, the sexual approach to her Prof, stealing his wallet, Jean noticing, her attack on Jean, the attack on the young woman and her weeping, Kathleen asserting her indifference? The encounter with Black, the blood? Gene talking to her about guilt?
7. The encounter with Pena, his history as a vampire, trying to overcome his condition? Taking care of Kathleen, her reading William Burroughs The Naked Lunch?
8. Defending her thesis, the award, the party afterwards, the guests, the transformations into vampires, and all G of blood?
9. Kathleen, regrets, walking the streets, in hospital, life and death, the priest visiting her with Communion?
10. Her visiting her grave, the meaning of her life – and the quotation: self-revelation is annihilation of self?