‘Marty Supreme’ spins ping pong into a gaspingly funny critique of the American hustle

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A ping pong ball can travel at speeds exceeding 70 miles per hour – fast enough to cross Manhattan in under two minutes. The new film, “Marty Supreme,” directed by Josh Safdie, matches that frantic energy. Set in 1952 New York, the chaotic comedy follows Marty Mauser (Timothée Chalamet), a competitive table tennis player who makes a living by hustling. Like his playing style, Marty is argumentative and relentlessly wears down anyone who challenges him.

Marty relentlessly pressured his coworker for $700 from the safe, using every tactic imaginable – guilt trips, threats, offers of money, insults, and even promises of payback – until one finally worked. He’s a bundle of nerves, constantly fidgeting, and looks the part. But when he’s holding a paddle, he transforms, becoming surprisingly graceful and skilled, almost like Gene Kelly dancing in the rain. He’s so good, he could probably win a match even if he were swinging an umbrella instead of a paddle.

The character is based on Marty Reisman, a famously rebellious table tennis player in the 1970s. A US Table Tennis official explained in 1972 that Reisman’s controversial reputation led to his exclusion from the historic US-China exhibition matches – often called “ping pong diplomacy.” While those games are memorable from the movie Forrest Gump, the real Marty Reisman was far more complex; he once famously smuggled gold bars out of Hong Kong using the sport as cover.

The incredible true story of Reisman, detailed in his 1974 memoir “The Money Player,” is almost too wild to believe – even for a director known for fast-paced, unpredictable films like Josh Safdie (who previously worked with his brother Benny on “Good Time” and “Uncut Gems”). It might even require a series of movies to tell it all! Reisman’s life began with a daring escape from Hanoi just before it fell, and included a meeting with the Pope and a surprisingly clumsy landing of a plane in Brazil. The book was quickly picked up for a potential film adaptation, and Reisman himself envisioned Robert De Niro in the lead role.

The film project never came to fruition, and Reisman passed away in 2012 at age 82, still believing he deserved recognition. He would have been pleased with the Safdie brothers’ “Marty Supreme,” a movie that takes viewers back in time to the 1950s, when American ping pong players were optimistic about the future.

Timothée Chalamet appears to have intentionally lost muscle mass for this role. It’s amusing to watch someone so lean try to embody the strength of Hercules, but he commits to the physicality with energy and belief. His character, Marty, is driven by a desire for status and recognition. The director even creates a storyline where Marty invents a bright orange ball just so he can dress like the elite tennis players at Wimbledon. The film opens with Marty desperate to get to a tournament in London, hoping to escape his cramped apartment and the constant arguments with his mother, uncle, and a meddling neighbor. Things are complicated by the fact that Marty is secretly having an affair with a woman who lives downstairs, and her jealous husband is always nearby.

Marty and Rachel are a perfect match, perhaps because they both have a knack for getting what they want. The film quickly establishes their attraction – they even make up a story to be alone together. The cinematography is striking, visually representing their connection with an intimate and symbolic journey of sperm to egg. The egg is playfully imagined as the moon, then a ping pong ball, suggesting a playful, competitive energy between them – a game has begun.

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Daniel Lopatin explains how he created the electronic music for Josh Safdie’s ‘Marty Supreme,’ aiming for a sound that feels both reminiscent of the 1980s and refreshingly original.

From here on out, the movie really takes off! Marty’s constantly on the move, jetting around cities and even across the globe, pursuing his own ambitions while kind of dodging the fact that he has a family to think about. He keeps running into some pretty wild characters along the way – like Ezra, a gangster with a gun played by Abel Ferrara, and Kay, a former movie star Gwyneth Paltrow portrays with this cool, distant vibe. Then there’s her husband, Milton, played by Kevin O’Leary – you might recognize him from ‘Shark Tank.’ Milton runs a pen company and gets this crazy idea that Marty can make him rich selling ping pong in Asia. Honestly, O’Leary is perfect as this ruthless, money-hungry businessman; you can really feel the capitalism radiating off him, especially since it was his first acting role!

Safdie loves showcasing unexpected talent, filling his New York scenes with cameos from well-known figures. He casts magician Penn Jillette, fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi, basketball legend George Gervin, highwire walker Philippe Petit, playwright David Mamet, journalist Naomi Fry, and businessman John Catsimatidis in small roles. Musician Tyler, the Creator (Tyler Okonma) shines in his first major film role as Willy, Marty’s partner in gambling. Known for a stunt in “Jackass Forever” where he received an electric shock from a piano, Tyler brings that same lively energy to this film, and it works brilliantly.

Marty’s biggest rival is Koto Endo (also known as Koto Kawaguchi), a Japanese player who lost his hearing during the Tokyo air raids years earlier and plays with a uniquely silent paddle. In contrast, Marty’s friend and competitor, Béla (Géza Röhrig), is a Holocaust survivor. He shares a powerful true story about Alex Ehrlich, a Polish table tennis player who won a silver medal at the World Championships in 1939 before being imprisoned in a concentration camp. Ehrlich was famous for an incredibly long rally – over two hours of non-stop play – so intense it caused the referee to quit due to a stiff neck. The relentless pace of that rally mirrors the energy of the movie itself, keeping viewers engaged and breathless.

The film’s music is a surprising mix of 80s synth-pop from bands like Tears for Fears and New Order, combined with a dreamy, atmospheric score reminiscent of Tangerine Dream. This choice feels unusual considering how recently historical events like World War II still feel present in our collective memory. However, the music itself evokes a distinct 80s vibe—a time when films often celebrated ambitious, even cutthroat characters, much like Tom Cruise in ‘Risky Business,’ who famously ran a business out of his family home.

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The film, co-written by Ronald Bronstein, follows a classic 1980s movie formula, steadily building towards a climactic competition – think a ski race, car wash contest, or even something like the decathlon in “Revenge of the Nerds.” However, the story flips expectations, suggesting that Marty might be the one who actually deserves to lose. It’s hard to root for someone so immature who casually references World War II with offensive boasts, claiming he’ll “drop a third bomb” on Endo’s supporters. Interestingly, the film’s promotion in Tokyo uses a poster of Marty that intentionally evokes unsettling similarities to antisemitic Nazi imagery – a deliberate decision by the director and production designer, Jack Fisk.

Marty believes he’s entirely self-reliant and doesn’t need assistance, but those he exploits would tell a different story. He’s reminiscent of the greedy jeweler in “Uncut Gems,” though that character limited his harmful actions to a specific group and location. The film’s director unleashes Marty on the world, sending him to Paris where he’s rude to a non-English-speaking waiter, and then to Cairo where he even steals a piece of the Great Pyramids.

Hearing a Japanese newsreel label him simply as “the American” villain, you understand that “Marty Supreme” isn’t just a funny imitation of Reisman. It’s a look at how Americans see themselves, shown through Marty confidently telling the British head of table tennis that an American champion would make the sport more popular worldwide. Even after being humbled by the commissioner, Marty unapologetically declares, “It’s every man for himself where I come from.”

Similar to Martin Sheen, Timothée Chalamet also grew up in New York City, and from the start of his career, many have predicted he’ll win an Academy Award – the only mystery is when. He’s earning this recognition through challenging roles, deliberately avoiding overly sentimental projects in favor of complex characters driven by their own desires. For example, in “A Complete Unknown,” he learned to play guitar like Bob Dylan, portraying the musician as a flawed character, and in the critically acclaimed “Dune: Part Two,” he played an innocent character who transforms into a dangerous, world-threatening figure.

Chalamet once again poured his dedication into this role, revealing he spent seven years practicing ping pong to accurately portray the character. Unlike Tom Hanks in “Forrest Gump,” he performed all his own table tennis moves. Audiences appear happy to see him challenge himself, and they hope he continues to put in this level of effort for future films.

I was completely swept up in this movie, especially Marty’s journey. It’s amazing how even when he’s at his lowest, you still find yourself smiling. He’s traveling the world with the Harlem Globetrotters, bringing a little joy to places that desperately need it, but he’s so caught up in his own issues, he can’t even see the impact he’s having. Honestly, though, Marty’s a bit of a selfish character. When you compare him to everyone else, he feels pretty empty inside. It all comes down to his ego, really – it’s literally symbolized by these custom basketballs that say ‘Marty Supreme – Made in America.’

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2025-12-23 14:11