Marty Supreme

Films about underdogs who eagerly aspire to be champions are among the biggest crowd-pleasers in today’s movie industry. There’s something about watching a story in which an indisputable hopeful does whatever it takes to come out on top (even if that sometimes calls for occasionally bending ‒ or even breaking ‒ the rules), prompting viewers to pull for the would-be victor in the face of such hardships. However, there comes a point where the contender’s actions might be called into question, either by going too far or by exhibiting a degree of confidence that verges on arrogance or conceit. Does someone like that still make for a suitable role model? Is that kind of “inspiration” something to be emulated? Or does this represent the rise of a bona fide bad boy? Those are the questions raised in this solo project from writer-director Josh Safdie, one-half of the Safdie Brothers moviemaking duo. Loosely based on the life of colorful American table tennis star Marty Reisman, who rose to prominence in the sport in the 1950s, the film tells the story of Marty Mauser (Timothée Chalamet), a character patterned after his real life counterpart. At a time when table tennis is largely looked on in the US as a home-based pastime – very much in contrast to its immense popularity as a competitive, legitimate sport in Asia and elsewhere – Mauser aspires to be a world champion, a goal aimed at making “ping pong” something taken more seriously stateside. However, given the sport’s lightweight reputation in America at the time, he has trouble securing financial backing for his efforts, leading him to engage in an array of questionable funding arrangements. What’s more, he doesn’t help his own case much, either, frequently alienating officials in the sport, as well as potentially influential backers, such as a wealthy pen manufacturer (Kevin O’Leary), partly by his behavior and otherwise with his smug, sarcastic attitude and ample capacity as a pathological liar. Mauser also makes some dubious personal choices, such as having an affair with a Hollywood actress seeking to resuscitate her flailing career (Gwyneth Paltrow) (who, by the way, just happens to be his would-be sponsor’s trophy wife) at the same time that he has unwittingly fathered a child with a lifelong friend (Odessa A’zion) who’s married to a hothead abusive husband (Emory Cohen). And that’s just the tip of the proverbial iceberg of his bad behavior. Mauser is, in no uncertain terms, a hustler of the first order who doesn’t always think through his schemes before acting on them. To be sure, Mauser’s story is a genuinely entertaining (albeit somewhat overlong) tale, full of laughs, great sports action sequences and one of the most impressive (i.e., not annoying) performances by Chalamet. Despite those strengths, though, is the protagonist someone that parents would want their children to look up to? Personally, I find that a rather questionable choice for the subject of a big screen film. While the protagonist’s objective is a noble one, the story told here is also a potent cautionary tale, one that raises many questions about the ends justifying the means. In light of that, then, “Marty Supreme” is one of those releases that must be taken with a full shaker of salt while assessing its content. It might well amuse, but it should also give viewers pause to reflect on the kinds of individuals we admire as heroes, especially where the impressionable among us are concerned. Indeed, watch wisely.

“Marty” (Timothée Chalamet) has dreams that he can dominate the sport of table tennis. Perhaps unsurprisingly, most folks he knows in New York think he’s a few bricks short of a full barrow. Anyway, after quite a fun altercation with a rival at work, he purloins seven hundred bucks then absconds to London for the world championships. That's where he meets not only his soon-to-be nemesis “Koto Endo” (Koto Kawaguchi) but also the glamorous actress “Kay” (Gwyneth Paltrow) who just happens to be rather unsatisfactorily married to millionaire ink-man “Rockwell” (Kevin O’Leary). From now on, “Marty” must juggle a series of plates that include the pregnant “Rachel” (Odessa A’zion) and an international federation that takes a dim view of his attitudes to their sport (and it’s accommodation policies). The next world championships are in Japan, and there’s a fighting chance he can get there is he plays the game the way “Rockwell” wants - but given he’s an entirely self-obsessed and frankly quite unlikeable man, what chance he can learn to compromise? I was late to the party as far as Chalamet is concerned. Until “Dune” (2021), I found him to be quite an unremarkable actor. Here, though, he shines. He owns the part and I must admit I really quite enjoyed his performance as a man whom I’d cheerfully have fed to the sharks. Indeed, the scene for which this film will most likely be best remembered was nowhere near severe enough on a character who took arrogance to an whole new level. A’zion comes into her own a little more towards the end but Paltrow doesn’t really get much chance to shine as her sparing appearances don’t really endear “Kay” to us much, either. My dad used to paint his golf balls orange so he could play in the (Scottish) snow, so the design of an orange ping pong ball against white backgrounds seems self-evidently sensible for all concerned; some of his energetic antics do raise a smile as this races along and although I don’t know that I’d join a queue to see it again, I did enjoy it as Chalamet exudes a charisma that is enjoyable to watch.