Dir: Josh Safdie, US, 2025, 149m
Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Josh Safdie, Gwyneth Paltrow, Fran Drescher, Abel Ferrara
Review by Matthew Morlai Kamara
As he rises to fame, the story explores the eccentricities of obsession, the price of greatness, and the cut-throat subculture of professional sports in the mid 20th century. Josh Safdie has made a career out of anxiety cinema. Whether it’s the heart-stopping debt-dodging of Howard Ratner in Uncut Gems or the neon-soaked desperation of Connie Nikas in Good Time, Safdie’s protagonists are always fast-talking hustlers on the verge of a breakdown.
There is no denying that producing company A24’s marketing team has turned this release into a cultural phenomenon. The promotion has been insanely unique with over-the-top stunts that has built a high level of hype I haven’t seen in donkey years. And surprisingly it’s worked, looking at the ridiculous queues outside the cinema recently. It feels less like a new film release, more like a championship sporting event. So another massive win for A24’s successful run, though one can’t help but hope and indeed wish such gargantuan budgets could be shared with the independent and short-film sectors.
In terms of performance, Timothée Chalamet is undeniably good, indeed at the absolute top of his game, while Gwyneth Paltrow as his wealthy sometime mistress gives a sharp, respectably good performance too. However, despite the top notch acting, the film itself is erratic and all over the place. Like Safdie’s previous works, it prioritizes a breathless “vibe” over a cohesive story. To put it bluntly, it’s not the best slice of bread the year has offered in my eyes. It is near the end crust of a sourdough loaf which isn’t freshly baked – tough and difficult to cut through even with a sharp knife.
Overall a satisfying 3-star effort remarkable in parts, but perhaps a bit too “crusty” for its own good.
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