‘Marty Supreme’ and the Cost of Modern Movie Marketing

What does it take to create an Oscar-nominated film? Maybe it’s standing on top of the Las Vegas Sphere to promote your movie, creating an exclusive jacket, or changing your years-long public persona. This is what was employed by the team behind Marty Supreme, nominated for nine awards at this year’s ceremony.  

Marty Supreme is a story about chasing greatness, excellence, and fame. It’s equal parts heist, adventure, and drama. This is why the marketing (which doesn’t match the film’s aesthetics) works. 

The film is set in 1952, soundtracked by 1980s hits like Alphaville’s “Forever Young” and Tears for Fears’ “Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” and marketed with modernity in mind. These different pieces shouldn’t work together, but they do. This is in part to the persona taken on by the film’s star Timothée Chalamet. 

Chalamet embodied the character of Marty Mauser — who is cocky, arrogant, and confident — in his promotional appearances for the movie. It’s a stark departure from his previous public persona — when he was making the rounds for Call Me By Your Name, he was the freshfaced starry-eyed newcomer. When it came time for Little Women, he was a real-life teddy bear. For Dune, he was an actor redefining how he was perceived and stepping into a franchise role. For A Complete Unknown, he was the musically inclined, obsessive artist. Marty was none of this. 

For one, the promo began early, and it was frequent. Chalamet, whose Instagram typically lays dormant until it’s time to promote his new movie, became increasingly active. Then, he was doing bits seeking virality. Posting a 30 minute fake Zoom call brainstorming marketing, bringing people dressed as the movie’s orange ping pong balls to late night appearances, and standing on top of the Las Vegas Sphere. 

It could even be said that Chalamet has been planting the seeds of the Marty Mauser persona he’d later embody way back when he won the SAG Award for Best Actor for playing Bob Dylan in James Marigold’s A Complete Unknown. Saying in his acceptance speech, “…I know we’re in a subjective business, but the truth is, I’m really in pursuit of greatness,” he said. “I know people don’t usually talk like that, but I want to be one of the greats.” This statement symbolizes the inner workings of the character Marty Mauser, who at the time was not yet known to the public. 

Marty and Chalamet’s persona promoting it, is the first time his public personality has shifted so noticeably. Most recently, Chalamet said that “nobody cares about opera and ballet,” leaving the internet in an uproar over the sincerity of his previous arts-loving persona. Perhaps this major shift is due to Chalamet’s personal investment as a producer on the film. Maybe Chalamet wanted to push Marty to do as well as possible, which meant being Marty Mauser off-screen, too. 

Ultimately, Marty Supreme didn’t go home with any golden statues for their nine nominations. Whether this is a result of the marketing tactics, or a separate enigma, Marty’s campaign was one to witness.

• entertainment
• marketing
• movies
• oscars
• Timothee Chalamet