Timothée Chalamet is preparing to return in “Marty Supreme” : a film directed by Josh Safdie - also remembered for having co-directed the splendid “Uncut Gems” with his brother Benny - which focuses on the complex figure of Marty Mauser, a shoe salesman and expert ping pong player in 1950s New York who , driven by his irrepressible spirit, will be swept away by the thrill of scams, forbidden love and delusions of grandeur during a championship abroad.

Set for a January 22nd Italian release , the film received a surprise screening at the latest New York Film Festival. Appearing onstage at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, Chalamet and Safdie entertained guests with a passionate introduction. Joking about the secret screening that was about to begin, the director exclaimed, "I hate surprises, too. I finished it yesterday at 2 a.m.... You're the first people to see this film."

The thunderous standing ovation from the audience was soon followed by rave reviews from the press. Everyone was particularly impressed by Chalamet's performance, already considered the best of his career and in the running for a possible Academy Award nomination. Ramin Setoodeh, co-editor-in-chief of Variety, commented on this in a post on X: "Marty Supreme is a mix of Uncut Gems, The Catcher in the Rye, and Jerry Maguire, all bolstered by Timothée Chalamet's best performance to date. I loved it."

Diego Andaluz of Discussing Film agrees, calling the title: " A kinetic odyssey that feels like a madcap cross between Catch Me If You Can and Uncut Gems . Timothée Chalamet delivers the performance of a lifetime in this unforgettable, majestic, full-throttle cinematic tour de force."

David Canfield, a journalist for The Hollywood Reporter, also praised Chalamet's performance, writing specifically: "Marty Supreme: A grand and exhilarating performance by Josh Safdie. The best performance of Timothée Chalamet's career—he was born to play this character—with an extraordinary Odessa A'zion leading a superb supporting cast. Wow."

David Crow's review is no less eloquent, stating: " Marty Supreme is a true adrenaline rush and the sequel to Uncut Gems we've been waiting for . Equally crazy and tense, but intoxicated by the confidence of youth and the arrogance of believing that talent and charm are enough. As a cinematic work, it certainly is."

What has sparked discussion, but in a completely opposite direction, are the recent statements made by Kevin O'Leary, millionaire entrepreneur and host of the Shark Tank program, who made his acting debut in the film . In an interview on the World of Travel podcast, he shared some thoughts on the potential offered by artificial intelligence and the benefits it, in his opinion, could bring to the world of cinema.

Reflecting on the work of extras and the potential savings in production costs, he stated: "Almost every scene had up to 150 extras. These people have to stay awake for 18 hours, fully clothed, even though they're not actually in the film, but necessary in the background. And it costs millions of dollars. Why not put AI agents in their place? They're not the main actors, they just serve visually in the story. You could save millions, so you could produce more films. The same director, instead of spending 90 million, could have spent 35 million and made two."

And regarding the case of Tilly Norwood—a fictional actress created precisely through the use of AI, which sparked fierce protests from the SAG-AFTRA union—he commented: "She's 100% artificial intelligence. She doesn't exist, but she's a great actress. She can be any age you want. She doesn't have to eat, so she works 24/7. I would say that, for the love of art, the use of AI should be allowed in certain cases. Extras are a great example, because you can't tell the difference. Just put 100 Tilly Norwoods in there and you're done."

These are undoubtedly hot topics, and—for better or worse—they will bring further visibility to the title. We'll see how the issue will expand in the near future and what scenario will unfold in the vast landscape of Hollywood mega-productions.

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