CineCrossroads: “Marty Supreme,” “Equilibrium” and “Princess Mononoke”

Movie of the week — Marty Supreme

One of the most talked about releases of the season. The new film starring the Dune actor uses sports only formally as a theme. In reality, Marty Supreme is a story about ambition, obsession, and the cost of pursuing a dream.

The main character, Marty Mauser, works in a shoe store run by a friend of his mother. He despises his job, rejects the comfort of stability, and is firmly convinced that he deserves more. His dream is to compete in a world table tennis tournament. To achieve it, Marty is ready to do anything, including lying, betrayal, and crime.

The film is constructed as a psychological drama with elements of satire. Every sene serves to shape the character. Labeling Marty Supreme a comedy feels almost like a misunderstanding. It is harsh, at times bitter, filled with caustic humor and sharp social commentary. Particularly striking are the depictions of postwar American Japanese relations in the 1950s, as well as scenes addressing painful themes of antisemitism and hypocrisy.

Special attention should be paid to Timothee Chalamet’s performance. He is almost unrecognizable in this role, deliberately stripped of his usual polish and presented as arrogant, abrasive, and unpleasant. The effect is all the more powerful because of it.

Classic pick — Equilibrium

Kurt Wimmer’s dystopia Equilibrium portrays a future after a series of world wars, where emotions, culture, art, and self-expression are outlawed. In the name of order and security, citizens are required to take a drug twice a day that completely suppresses feelings.

The main character, cleric John Preston, played by Christian Bale, serves the system flawlessly until he accidentally misses a dose. Gradually, he begins to feel, to think, and to realize that he lives in a totalitarian state where fear has replaced humanity.

Visually, the film is striking. Gray color palettes, rigid costumes, and monumental sets create an atmosphere of total control. People march in formation, children monitor their parents, screens constantly broadcast propaganda, and even windows are sealed so that citizens cannot see sunrises or sunsets.

The action sequences are staged in the gun-fu style, combining gun-play and hand to hand combat. Despite the constant motion, the director does not abandon philosophical depth, touching on themes of power, religion, and institutional violence.

Family choice — Princess Mononoke

One of the most cult works by Studio Ghibli and director Hayao Miyazaki. Princess Mononoke explores the conflict between humanity and nature, deliberately avoiding a simple division between good and evil.

A young warrior named Ashitaka, cursed and doomed, finds himself at the center of a confrontation between industrial civilization and ancient forest gods. San, a girl raised by wolves, fiercely defends the forest and despises humans for their desire to dominate and destroy.

The film impresses with its philosophical depth. It is a fantasy filled with brutal and tragic scenes. Miyazaki presents a world without absolute good or absolute evil, only a collision of different forms of life and competing visions of the future.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency published a feature titled Most anticipated films of 2026, highlighting the year’s most awaited premieres.