Year-End Extra: Timothée Supreme

Timothée Chalamet, whom I first saw on the big screen in 2017’s Call Me by Your Name, is the greatest actor of our time. He is neither the Marlon Brando of our era nor the Lawrence Olivier of our age. He is entirely his own, electrifying films and ping-ponging between ingeniously chosen roles.

This past year, the then-29-year-old received some flak for his February SAG Awards speech and other public statements in which he acknowledged pursuing greatness. Some find it immodest or unbecoming to depart from the usual “aww shucks” stance most actors take. I have no issue with him owning his ambitions and admitting his intentions.

The world’s greatest actress, Meryl Streep, is renowned for her chameleon-like performances, effortlessly switching dialects and fully immersing herself in new characters. You could say the same about Chalamet, but it hits differently.

I became convinced that Chalamet was one of the greats after watching the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown last December. As I mentioned at the time, he brought an innate musicality to his performance. Yes, he “became” Dylan, but the performance went far beyond impersonation. Timmy, as he's called, made me care about Dylan, even though I’m not much of a Dylan follower.

Rewind a year in Chalamet’s career to the release of his Willy Wonka film. It was intended for pure fun, not Oscar nominations. Timmy chooses roles that are just fun. Streep does the same (see: Mamma Mia and The Devil Wears Prada).

Not everything he does is for me. I haven't seen Dune (I’m not into science fiction). I walked out of Little Women (it was just too dull for words).

But I just watched Marty Supreme, the latest Chalamet film. He practiced ping-pong for 6 years to play the role of a champion, but that was the least astonishing part of the performance. 

Marty straddles two worlds—the Jewish Lower East Side and international table tennis—while remaining morally equivocal. It is a coming-of-age story, and we go along for the ride because its main character is endlessly compelling and charismatic.

It is a testament to how great an actor Chalamet is that Joe was willing to make a significant bet with me that he would not win the Oscar for Marty Supreme. This is because Joe did not like the character or the film's ending. He is not a Chalamet fan, perhaps because of the actor's personal relationship with a woman in the Kardashian family, and it annoys him that I am. 

But I will win this bet; the performance is a shoo-in for the Oscar.

Next up for Chalamet is Dune 3, which I will probably skip. But I can’t wait until Timothée Chala-mazing is back with yet another unexpected project, rattling expectations and making a sensation.

--

Don't go anonymous: Please type your name after your comments. It's as simple as that.