Going into the 98th Academy Awards on March 15, Michael B. Jordan and Timothée Chalamet were major talking points as both were nominees for Best Actor in a Leading Role. For Jordan, it was his lead roles as Elijah and Elias Moore, also known as “Smoke” and “Stack” in “Sinners,” while Chalamet played Marty Mouser in “Marty Supreme.” Both films were highly successful at the box office. They received massive amounts of praise from critics and viewers alike, making the competition controversial. Some people on social media said Chalamet was “robbed,” as “Marty Supreme” lost all of its 9 Oscar nominations, including Best Actor. Yet while both films follow extremely different storylines, the obvious winner for any category with the two films is “Sinners,” including Best Actor in a Leading Role. And it’s not just about Chalamet’s overblown comments about orchestra and ballet.
At the 31st Critics’ Choice Awards on Jan. 4, Chalamet won Best Actor for his role as Mauser, beating Jordan and other competitors like Leonardo DiCaprio. In his speech, Chalamet complimented the other nominees for their work, and thanked Josh Safdie, the director of “Marty Supreme.”
“You made a story about a flawed man with a relatable dream, and you didn’t preach to the audience about what’s right and wrong and I think we should all be telling stories like that,” Chalamet said.
After hearing all this admiration for the film, it only made sense to see it for the first time in theaters. As someone who has previously been a fan of Chalamet’s work, especially in his indie film roles, I had expected “Marty Supreme” to live up to the expectations despite my preexisting doubts about a movie based on table tennis. So I had mixed emotions when the film did not have anything to do with table tennis, and instead followed a highly pretentious, egocentric character who was seriously difficult to tolerate. Calling Mauser “flawed” is an understatement, and there shouldn’t have been a need to preach what’s right and wrong because it was made clear from the beginning that Mauser was nothing short of a narcissistic villain.
“Marty Supreme” follows Mauser over a film that runs two hours and 30 minutes as he abandons his pregnant girlfriend–even after she gets shot for him while being pregnant, destroys his friendships with people who have stood by him and emotionally manipulates a discontented woman for money, constantly putting his legacy above the lives of those around him. Nearly every death or life ruined in the film was due to Mauser’s carelessness, and was often remarkably unnecessary. While “Marty Supreme” has been applauded for being a raw film with a gripping fast-paced story, particularly due to these shock-factor components, it simply feels like an ode to conceited young men who lack respect. Which, for anyone active on the internet, isn’t a new or desirable story. But for anyone active on the internet, it’s also not surprising that a film about such a “goal-driven” self-serving character gets showered with love.
It’s not like the manipulative desperate main character plotline hasn’t been done before. “Breaking Bad”, a show released in 2008 starring Bryan Cranston, is the first thing that comes to mind when I think of narcissistic ambitious storylines. It’s an engaging show with a rollercoaster of emotions, and it’s also a genuine example of not preaching what’s right and wrong. Walter White’s morals, especially in the early seasons, are still debated to this day.
“Marty Supreme” felt like watching a compilation of White’s worst moments for nearly 3 hours. Stripped of all valuable story and any attempt to make the viewer feel sympathy for Mauser, it’s essentially Breaking Bad if White didn’t have cancer or goodwill in his heart at any point. Just a complete trainwreck with nothing but tormenting exploitation tactics, and the entire movie is spent rooting for the main character’s demise.
Regardless of my thoughts on the movie, Chalamet’s dedication to learning table tennis is admirable, as he practiced on and off for seven years. His commitment to the role is similar to when he played Bob Dylan in “A Complete Unknown,” which he practiced guitar for over five years for. While impressive, the table tennis aspect of the movie was minuscule compared to everything else that was going on, and the rest of the movie made Chalamet’s playing ability an afterthought to the overwhelming amount of drama.
Ironically, the score is one of the best parts of the film, as the music perfectly encapsulates the emotion brought together by the undeniably beautiful cinematography. Daniel Lopatin, composer of the soundtrack, blends childishness and intensity, notably with tracks like “Tub Falls” and “The Real Game,” adding to the passionate aspects of the story.
Of course with movies, there are many ways they can be interpreted, and “Marty Supreme” brings out such a range of infuriating emotions that it can prove that Chalamet did his job by successfully embodying a provocative 23-year-old. But honestly, a movie is hard to enjoy when there are no moments of satisfaction other than Mauser losing a game to competitor Koto Endo early on in the film.
It’s difficult to full-heartedly believe that a role of a smug table tennis player could outshine or beat the role of Jordan’s characters, who were goal-driven while being dynamic and human.
“Sinners” was everything an award-winning movie should be, and remained engaging despite being filmed pretty much entirely in one setting. Instead of focusing on one person, “Sinners” highlighted the lives of multiple people who were all struggling, while making the most of what they had through connections with one another, culture and music. By combining historical themes with horror and unique vampire elements to comment on cultural assimilation and oppression, “Sinners” is significantly more engaging and thought-provoking, while still incorporating humor and relatability.
The story mainly focuses on twin brothers Elijah and Elias Moore as they try to escape their Chicago mob lifestyle back in their hometown by creating a juke joint with music, dancing and drinks. After reuniting with friends, family and former lovers, they bring everyone together and create a night of shared joy, allowing everyone to escape their problems for a few hours.
The cinematography of “Sinners” is jaw-dropping, with “I Lied To You” being one of the most thrilling and breathtaking scenes. Not to mention, the live rendition of “I Lied To You” live at the Oscars was gorgeously done and was just as emotive as the movie version. The music, dancing and traditions paired with Miles Canton’s rich and deep singing are impeccable, and really showcase the messaging behind the movie. In the film, once the Irish vampire protagonist, Remmick, sees the explosion of culture inside the small setting of the Moore brothers’ joint, he approaches and tries to turn everyone into a vampire. By doing so, he strips them of their music, and their next musical number is an Irish folk-song that incorporates no other cultural elements.
Even though the concept of vampires in horror is nothing new, the metaphorical use of them in “Sinners” is an interesting and fresh take on what is typically an overused horror plotline. The score is just the final puzzle piece that makes the film a complete work of art.
As the main characters, Jordan manages to make the Moore brothers stand out with immersive characteristics that contribute to the captivating story. For Elijah Moore, he’s more sensible and is usually shown to be driven by mature reason. He is a father figure in both a literal and metaphorical sense, making him a sharp contrast from Elias Moore, who’s about money, risk and emotional thinking.
Even though the Moore brothers aren’t the center of attention throughout the whole film, their characters work spectacularly with the supporting roles, making their synergy such a key element to Jordan’s success. While not everyone is impressed by the feat of playing twins, the role of Elijah alone paired with the enthralling visual storytelling of “Sinners” makes Jordan’s win in the Best Actor category make perfect sense–along with every other award “Sinners” has won. The full comprehensive story and the emotions a film brings are what make an actor’s talent shine through, and for “Marty Supreme” that was Chalamet’s downfall.
None of this is to say that Chalamet does not deserve an Oscar for Best Actor in his lifetime. Chalamet’s career is incredibly accomplished, and he does deserve recognition for his performances. However, saying Chalamet deserves the award over Jordan because of his previous work is shallow, because Jordan’s career is just as distinguished. Both actors successfully captivate and move audiences, but for an Oscar based on “Marty Supreme” and “Sinners,” there was no other way for this to go.
Jordan’s win made him the sixth Black Oscar winner for Best Actor, and he thanked the previous five, Sidney Poitier (1964), Denzel Washington (2002), Jaime Foxx (2005), Forest Whitaker (2007) and Will Smith (2022), in his acceptance speech.
“I just wanna say thank you to everyone in this room who had something to do with my success,” Jordan said. “And everyone at home who supported sinners… Thank you. You guys make this movie what it is.”
