A Surprise NYFF Premiere Shakes Up the Race |
The New York Film Festival has featured a slew of high-profile movies, including After the Hunt, Jay Kelly, and A House of Dynamite. Another major title, Bradley Cooper’s Is This Thing On?, closes out the festival today.
But as it turns out, Is This Thing On? may not be the fest’s biggest world premiere after all—thanks to a strategic move by A24. I’m Rebecca Ford, and all anyone was talking about this week was the surprise premiere of Marty Supreme at NYFF this week. It seems to have been a down-to-the-wire decision; as director Josh Safdie said onstage, he had just finished the final cut of the movie at 2 a.m. the night before.
Surprise screenings at NYFF are rare, but this feels like a very smart move by A24. Marty Supreme, starring Timothée Chalamet as a ping-pong prodigy, is a very New York movie; Chalamet and much of the cast—including Gwyneth Paltrow, Tyler, the Creator, and Odessa A’zion—were all in attendance, creating a big event that got a lot of attention. Smartly, A24 hosted a screening of the film in Los Angeles two nights later that included notable filmmakers (like Sean Baker and Todd Phillips) in the audience. Safdie was also on hand to introduce the film in LA. With the double hit of surprise screenings and very favorable reactions so far, Marty Surpreme has quickly skyrocketed to the top of the Oscar conversation.
Marty Supreme is based on the true-life story of table tennis player Marty Reisman, but told with the style and energy that only a Safdie could bring. Chalamet, who just one year ago was in the best-actor race with A Complete Unknown, feels like an instant contender for his performance in this film as well. It’s a crowded best-actor race this year, so we’ll have to see how his campaign plays out—especially because he’s known for promoting his movies in unconventional ways.
Outside of NYFF, there are a few other movies hoping to get noticed as we head into the weekend. Roofman, starring Channing Tatum and Kirsten Dunst, opens in theaters today. The film had a strong premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, and it seemed like Dunst and Tatum could both contend in the acting Oscar races. After speaking with them at the festival, I took a closer look at the true story that inspired the film, and spoke with Leigh Moore, whom Dunst plays in the film. Some of the wildest details in the movie are true to life, she told me. And unbelievable true stories often do well in the Oscar race, which is good news for both Roofman and Marty Supreme. |
