Never have I been more grateful to have a celebrity’s Instagram post notifications on than when, at approximately 5:15 p.m. on a random Thursday night, Timothée Chalamet posted a story inviting New York City residents to watch the first 30 minutes of his film “Marty Supreme” at 9 p.m. that very night. I did hesitate for a second. There was laundry to do, I had forty pages of Jane Austen’s “Mansfield Park” to read and my bed looked very comfortable — far more comfortable than waiting outside for hours and possibly not getting inside the theater. But then, I thought back to last year, when the Timothée Chalamet lookalike contest happened in Washington Square Park. I decided not to go because, again, my bed was very comfortable and I was certain he would not actually show up. I was wrong. He did go, and it completely ruined my Sunday afternoon. One year later, I had a chance at redemption and I could not pass it up.
After making the decision to go, I knew I had to get on the first possible train to have the chance of getting a seat. Showtime was a little less than four hours away, but New Yorkers like nothing more than standing in lines, and I anticipated a long one. I hopped on the Metro-North and then took the 42nd Street shuttle to Times Square, where I powerwalked past tourists and finally arrived at the Regal Times Square around 6 p.m. As expected, a big group of fans had already gathered outside. However, since I was standing within the barricades set up to create an orderly line, I knew my journey was successful.
With my phone at 30% battery and still three hours left, I began talking with other movie-goers in line. We all traded Instagram handles and Letterboxd information while sharing different stories and details about our lives to pass the time. The majority of the crowd were young adults, and — due to the last-minute announcement of the event — almost everyone came alone. Outside of our little group, I took note of how others passed the time. Many were scrolling through their phones, other groups of strangers formed to chat and one set of friends brought a pair of ping pong paddles and a ball to hit back and forth.
At 7:30 p.m., the workers began filing us into the building and gave us each a ticket with a number on it. I was ticket number 183 out of the total 296 seats available in the Regal Times Square 4DX theater. We went upstairs and lined up outside of the theater where we proceeded to wait for another two hours until showtime finally arrived and we could walk into the theater. Since I was in the latter half of the line, the front row spots were all taken, but I managed to snag a good spot semi-close to where Chalamet would be while also getting a great view of the screen. We sat and waited, buzzing with anticipation, until the big moment arrived.
Chalamet, sporting a newly-shaven hairstyle, finally graced us with his presence. He high-fived the audience members in the front row, gave a short speech about how much he enjoyed creating the film and thanked everyone for coming before waving and walking out of the theater. As he left, someone yelled out “Lisan al-Gaib!” which was a reference to the title given to his character Paul Atreides from “Dune” meaning “messiah.” In total, he was probably in the theater for only two minutes, but what a glorious two minutes they were.
The first 30 minutes of “Marty Supreme” were excellent. The film follows Marty Mauser (Chalamet) on his journey to become the best table tennis player in the world. Using post-World War II and the surge of American patriotism as a backdrop, director Josh Safdie artfully captures a restless society ready for reinvention and renewal while still healing from past trauma. Once the film begins, it never once lets up, keeping the audience fully engaged. The fast-paced nature of the movie and the sharp dialogue aligns perfectly with the sport the film portrays; I could not believe the 30 minutes went by so quickly. I will be first in line to watch the full film when “Marty Supreme” releases in theaters this Christmas.
Waiting for four hours to see 30 minutes of a movie sounds ridiculous, and I cannot fully disagree with that sentiment. However, through the experience, I made friends, saw one of my favorite actors and watched an amazing first 30 minutes of a movie. I was reminded why I chose to go to Fordham University and came to New York City in the first place. While my legs ached from standing for hours and the movie left us on a cliffhanger, I could not imagine a better way to spend a Thursday night.
