Kris Jenner has never been a shy woman with her views particularly concerning family. That is why when she openly encouraged the newest film starring Timothée Chalamet and gave it a glorifying review, it felt like it was more than a typical case of a celebrity endorsement. It was intimate, boastful and indicative of the depth to which she has connected with this project through her inner circle. Jenner, being the mother of the Kardashian-Jenner family and an expert in media strategy herself, had some degree of authority in her words as she was a motherly figure, but culturally aware.
In late December, Jenner replied in her Instagram Story to her response upon viewing Marty Supreme, an awards-season sports drama that has slowly created momentum. Her verdict was emphatic. The film was her announcement that it was the greatest movie ever, and that immediately attracted attention, not alone due to her standing close to the star, but because Jenner has a history of being very selective in how and when she publicly lauds anything to do with her family circle. The passion was real, almost natural, as though she had been a responding manager or public woman, but one who had really loved what she was looking at.
Her praise should come at the right time. Timothée Chalamet reaches the stage where he is not merely an up-and-coming actor with an indie-film resume, but he is a fully-fledged lead in the blockbuster industry and a recognizable prestige movie star at the same time. The movie places him in the genre of a sports drama which usually requires a person to act with soft emotions, physical change, and story line schmaltz. To an actor whose meticulously delicate work is known to be introspective and emotional, this part is an indication of an assured broadening of interest.
Also included with her praise is a little but significant detail by Jenner. She disclosed that she was given one of the red publicity jackets of the film, which has gone on to have a life of its own even outside the film. The jacket in the shape of a typical Nautica-era sports pullover has the title Marty Supreme printed in white on the chest with three embroidered stars. In another sense, it could have been another film merchandise. It was made into a cultural icon here.
The jacket has been seen in the last several months in numerous instances and on the backs of personalities that define the current celebrity culture. It was seen on Kendall Jenner, who easily turned the item into her off-duty model style. Tom Brady put it on with the low-key style of a veteran of sports iconography. Justin Bieber and Hailey Bieber were also spotted in the jacket, which exuded a sense of relevance in fashion, music as well as athletic popularity. These appearances were not loud or coordinated and this only enhanced the jacket. It was natural, almost old-fashioned, as though they were going back to the days when film merch just existed as part of the daily wardrobe.
On the backstage, the jacket reflected a joint effort that reflected the keen positioning of the film. The designs created by fashion designer Doni Nahmias in collaboration with the stylist of Chalamet, Taylor McNeill, and the distributor of the film, A24, were aimed at not being promotional. They were issued in small amounts in pop-ups in colors such as black, red, blue, and orange. They sold fast and this strengthened the notion that Marty Supreme was tapping into something real and not a fake buzz.
The most interesting feature of the response of Kris Jenner is her extensive knowledge of the dynamics of cultural movement. She has over decades been observing trends come and go and usually knowing what will be remembered and what will be forgotten. Her compliments of Marty Supreme were not like a calculated push. Rather, it came out as recognition. The identification of a movie that knows its audience, a movie star who is not afraid to enter a new stage of his career and cultural weathering that ties together the movie, the fashion industry, and the celebrities without heavy handed attempts to establish the relationship.
This story has a more subdued layers also. The romance between Chalamet and Kylie Jenner has sparked much media interest with it being speculated and examined frequently replacing his work. The support of Kris Jenner can be interpreted as an implicit redrawing of the story in that regard. She focused her applause on the movie itself, which in turn refocused attention towards the craft, the acting and the project. It was a wake-up call that there is work going on behind the headlines and paparazzi shots that is serious creative work.
Even Marty Supreme as such has been called a film that borders on time-honored sports drama tropes without being sentimental. It allegedly dwells on discipline, self-denial, and intricate ambition psychology. They are themes that go beyond the screen particularly in an age where popularity in the land tends to conceal personal price. The casting of Chalamet indicates that he is portraying a different take on the genre by placing more emphasis on the emotional subtext than on spectacle, which also fits into a wider A24 narrative perspective.
The reaction of Jenner also indicates the way in which films are experienced in the contemporary life. A film is no longer restricted to theatres or appraisals. It thrives by responding to the social media and fashion tie-ins, by the unspoken recommendation of those whose views can help influence the general interest. When personalities such as Kris Jenner refer to a film as the greatest movie ever, it evokes a discussion on the fact that the audiences do not take the message at face value, but because they desire to know why it touched her to the extent of saying so.
Naturally, the interest of a relative will be received with doubts. Her praise will be viewed as prejudiced by some and strategic by others. That tension is unavoidable. But despite that, there is an indication that the film has resonated with people even considering the fact that the answer to Marty Supreme was a yes. It has been able to create an interest but none controversial, visibility but not too much of it and style but no gimmickry.
Marty Supreme is yet to be discovered by the critics and industry voters as the awards season continues. Sports dramas may be unpredictable and may be popular among viewers, but may be disregarded by organizations. Nevertheless, the initial cues are ones that show a movie that knows what it is and an actor who is getting much more at ease with burdening himself with it.
