In Marty Supreme, Timothée Chalamet plays the titular character, an underdog who believes table tennis is his ticket to success. Set in 1952, Marty is a hustler who works in a shoe store. So they sell more expensive shoes by pretending that the customer’s size is out of stock. On the other hand, he’s always looking for the next get-rich-quick scheme.
Atsushi Nishijima
Director Josh Safdie and Oscar-nominated cinematographer Darius Khondji bring the frenetic world of Marty Supreme to life. Khondji guided Safdie to the script, which he co-wrote with Ronald Bronstein. No stranger to shooting period dramas, Khondji, who was nominated for an ASC Award and an Academy Award for his work on the film, worked closely with production designer Jack Fisk and was inspired by period photography, particularly that of Helen Levitt.
“Most of the conversation was that the greed of New York was important to us, that we wanted New York to look like it was back then in the ’50s. So we put haze on the streets because of pollution. There are always layers between actors, and we photograph through those layers,” Konji says.
Gwyneth Paltrow plays Kay Stone, a fading movie star who is attracted to Marty’s pushy ways. of
In the scene at the Ritz Hotel in London, where Marty watches Marty strut into the dining room, the two first pass each other, and Khondji’s camera glides along with Marty. Shortly after, Marty calls her in her room.
Khonji appreciates Safdie’s vision and ideas when it comes to framing. “He was the one who came up with this very modern and exciting idea to have Gwyneth in one room and Timmy in another room talking to each other and filming live at the same time.”
Toward the end, Kay sees through Marty’s methods and they candidly talk about his “dream.” Khondji shot not only that but most of the film using a 360mm anamorphic CinemaScope lens. Distance was important, and the 360mm lens delivered.
“Everything we shot was very well observed. We wanted to observe it from a distance.” To emphasize that, he shot at the actor’s height. “We’re watching them. Whether they’re behind us or in front of us, we’re looking at their faces,” he says.
