Listeners will be captivated by the chaotic dynamics of Marty's life, including his complicated relationship with retired movie star Kay Stone, played by Gwyneth Paltrow, and the drama surrounding his pregnant neighbor, Rachel, portrayed by Odessa Azian. Chris and Jessica discuss how Marty's brash personality and relentless pursuit of his dreams often lead him into messy situations, making for an engaging narrative filled with twists and turns.
Timothee Chalamet shines as Marty, embodying the character's charm and intensity, while Paltrow and Azian deliver compelling performances that add depth to the story. The film, loosely based on the real-life table tennis champion Marty Reisman, offers a unique blend of humor, drama, and inspiration, reminding us that ambition alone isn't enough—one must also learn from their mistakes.
With a score of 8.5 out of 10, this episode invites listeners to reflect on the balance between dreams and reality, as well as the importance of resilience in the face of failure. Join Chris and Jessica as they unravel the chaotic yet captivating tale of *Marty Supreme*, a film that proves even the most unexpected subjects can lead to compelling storytelling.
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00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 Chris: Okay, so here's something wild to think
00:00:02 --> 00:00:05 about. In 1952, when
00:00:05 --> 00:00:08 most Americans barely knew table tennis was a
00:00:08 --> 00:00:10 competitive sport, one guy decided he was
00:00:10 --> 00:00:13 going to make it his ticket to fame. And not
00:00:13 --> 00:00:16 just any fameworld champion level fame.
00:00:17 --> 00:00:19 Jessica: That's such a bold move, especially for a
00:00:19 --> 00:00:21 sport that wasn't exactly in the spotlight
00:00:21 --> 00:00:24 back then. Who was this guy and what made
00:00:24 --> 00:00:25 him think he could pull it off?
00:00:26 --> 00:00:28 Chris: His name was Marty Mauser and he's the
00:00:28 --> 00:00:31 centerpiece of this new movie, Marty Supreme.
00:00:31 --> 00:00:33 He's a 23 year old hustler from New York City
00:00:34 --> 00:00:35 working in his uncle's shoe store on the
00:00:35 --> 00:00:38 Lower east side. And while he's great at
00:00:38 --> 00:00:40 selling shoes, like he could sell you a pair
00:00:40 --> 00:00:42 even if you didn't have feet, he couldn't
00:00:42 --> 00:00:45 care less about the job. His real
00:00:45 --> 00:00:48 dream? To become the world's greatest table
00:00:48 --> 00:00:48 tennis player.
00:00:49 --> 00:00:51 Jessica: That's such an unexpected ambition,
00:00:52 --> 00:00:54 especially for someone in 1950s New York.
00:00:55 --> 00:00:57 I mean, table tennis wasn't exactly a career
00:00:57 --> 00:01:00 path back then. What made him think he could
00:01:00 --> 00:01:01 make it big?
00:01:02 --> 00:01:04 Chris: Confidence. Marty's got this
00:01:04 --> 00:01:07 unshakable belief in himself, bordering
00:01:07 --> 00:01:10 on arrogance. He's convinced he can not only
00:01:10 --> 00:01:13 dominate the sport, but also make it a
00:01:13 --> 00:01:16 headline worthy phenomenon. So
00:01:16 --> 00:01:18 he decides to leave New York and head to
00:01:18 --> 00:01:20 London to compete in the British Open,
00:01:20 --> 00:01:22 thinking that's his big break.
00:01:23 --> 00:01:25 Jessica: London? That's a pretty gutsy move.
00:01:25 --> 00:01:27 So he just packs up and heads overseas.
00:01:28 --> 00:01:30 I'm guessing things don't go as planned?
00:01:31 --> 00:01:34 Chris: Oh, not even close. Marty's not exactly
00:01:34 --> 00:01:37 known for his subtlety or charm. The moment
00:01:37 --> 00:01:39 he gets there, he starts making waves,
00:01:39 --> 00:01:41 complaining about his accommodations,
00:01:41 --> 00:01:44 clashing with officials and just generally
00:01:44 --> 00:01:46 rubbing people the wrong way. And then
00:01:46 --> 00:01:49 there's this whole subplot with Kay Stone, a
00:01:49 --> 00:01:52 retired movie star played by Gwyneth Paltrow.
00:01:53 --> 00:01:55 Jessica: Wait, so now there's a love interest?
00:01:56 --> 00:01:59 Or is it more of a one sided thing with Marty
00:01:59 --> 00:02:00 chasing after her?
00:02:00 --> 00:02:03 Chris: It's complicated. Kay's married to this
00:02:03 --> 00:02:06 wealthy businessman, Milton Rockwell, played
00:02:06 --> 00:02:08 by Kevin o'. Leary. Marty doesn't just flirt
00:02:08 --> 00:02:10 with Kay, he also makes it a point to
00:02:10 --> 00:02:13 introduce himself to Milton. It's like he's
00:02:13 --> 00:02:15 trying to force his way into their world,
00:02:15 --> 00:02:17 even though he clearly doesn't belong there.
00:02:18 --> 00:02:19 Jessica: That sounds messy, but also kind of
00:02:19 --> 00:02:22 fascinating. And then there's the actual
00:02:22 --> 00:02:24 table tennis competition. Uh, right.
00:02:25 --> 00:02:27 How does Marty fare on that front?
00:02:28 --> 00:02:30 Chris: Well, this is where things really heat up.
00:02:30 --> 00:02:33 Marty's blindsided by this Japanese player,
00:02:33 --> 00:02:35 Koto Endo, played by Koto
00:02:35 --> 00:02:38 Kawaguchi. Endo's Uh, a
00:02:38 --> 00:02:40 powerhouse, and he ends up becoming a
00:02:40 --> 00:02:42 national hero. Marty, on the other hand,
00:02:43 --> 00:02:45 is left in the dust. But the thing about
00:02:45 --> 00:02:48 Marty is he doesn't give up. He sets
00:02:48 --> 00:02:51 his sights on getting revenge, no matter what
00:02:51 --> 00:02:51 it takes.
00:02:52 --> 00:02:55 Jessica: So it's not just a story about chasing a
00:02:55 --> 00:02:57 dream. It's also about dealing with failure
00:02:57 --> 00:03:00 and figuring out how to bounce back. I
00:03:00 --> 00:03:03 like that. But it sounds like Marty's life
00:03:03 --> 00:03:05 is kind of a mess overall.
00:03:06 --> 00:03:09 Chris: Oh, it's an absolute train wreck. He's living
00:03:09 --> 00:03:11 hand to mouth, barely scraping by. And then
00:03:11 --> 00:03:14 there's his neighbor Rachel, played by Odessa
00:03:14 --> 00:03:16 Azian. She's pregnant, married, and her
00:03:16 --> 00:03:19 personal life is falling apart. Marty gets
00:03:19 --> 00:03:21 caught up in her drama too, because, of
00:03:21 --> 00:03:21 course he does.
00:03:22 --> 00:03:25 Jessica: Wow. So he's juggling his table tennis
00:03:25 --> 00:03:27 ambitions, a complicated love triangle, and
00:03:27 --> 00:03:30 his neighbor's crises. That's a
00:03:30 --> 00:03:32 lot for one guy to handle.
00:03:32 --> 00:03:35 Chris: It is, and that's what makes the movie so
00:03:35 --> 00:03:37 engaging. Marty's constantly chasing his own
00:03:37 --> 00:03:40 tail, trying to keep up with everything. He's
00:03:40 --> 00:03:42 his own worst enemy, but you can't help
00:03:42 --> 00:03:43 rooting for him.
00:03:43 --> 00:03:46 Jessica: I have to say, I'm intrigued. And Timothee
00:03:46 --> 00:03:49 Chalamet as Marty? That feels like perfect
00:03:49 --> 00:03:52 casting. He's got that mix of charm and
00:03:52 --> 00:03:54 intensity that sounds like it'd be spot on
00:03:54 --> 00:03:54 for this role.
00:03:55 --> 00:03:58 Chris: Oh, he's phenomenal. He's fast talking,
00:03:58 --> 00:04:01 ambitious, and completely unfiltered. You
00:04:01 --> 00:04:03 can see how Marty manages to scrape by
00:04:03 --> 00:04:05 despite all the chaos in his life.
00:04:05 --> 00:04:07 Chalamet really brings him to life.
00:04:08 --> 00:04:11 Jessica: And what about Gwyneth Paltrow as Kay? I
00:04:11 --> 00:04:13 feel like she'd nail the role of a woman
00:04:13 --> 00:04:15 who's intrigued by Marty, but also knows
00:04:15 --> 00:04:16 better than to get involved.
00:04:17 --> 00:04:20 Chris: She's fantastic. K's marriage has
00:04:20 --> 00:04:22 clearly seen better days. And while she knows
00:04:22 --> 00:04:24 Marty's trouble, there's something about his
00:04:24 --> 00:04:27 audacity that excites her. Paltrow
00:04:27 --> 00:04:28 captures that tension perfectly.
00:04:29 --> 00:04:31 Jessica: And Odessa Azian as Rachel.
00:04:32 --> 00:04:34 It sounds like her character's dealing with a
00:04:34 --> 00:04:34 lot too.
00:04:36 --> 00:04:38 Chris: Absolutely. Rachel's marriage is falling
00:04:38 --> 00:04:40 apart and she's trying to hold it together
00:04:40 --> 00:04:43 while dealing with her pregnancy. Asian
00:04:43 --> 00:04:46 brings a lot of resilience to the role. She's
00:04:46 --> 00:04:49 captivating to watch, so it sounds
00:04:49 --> 00:04:51 Jessica: like the performances are a big part of what
00:04:51 --> 00:04:52 makes this movie work.
00:04:53 --> 00:04:55 But what about the story itself? Does it keep
00:04:55 --> 00:04:56 you hooked?
00:04:57 --> 00:05:00 Chris: Oh, definitely. It's full of twists and
00:05:00 --> 00:05:02 turns. Just when you think you know where
00:05:02 --> 00:05:04 it's going, it takes a sharp left turn.
00:05:05 --> 00:05:07 It's like a roller coaster ride. You're never
00:05:07 --> 00:05:09 quite sure what's going to happen next.
00:05:10 --> 00:05:12 Jessica: That sounds like a lot of fun. And the fact
00:05:12 --> 00:05:14 that it's based loosely on a real life table
00:05:14 --> 00:05:17 tennis player, Marty Reisman, adds an extra
00:05:17 --> 00:05:18 layer of intrigue.
00:05:19 --> 00:05:22 Chris: It does. Reisman was the US
00:05:22 --> 00:05:25 men's singles champion in 1958 and
00:05:25 --> 00:05:27 1960, so there's a real life
00:05:27 --> 00:05:30 foundation to the story. But the movie
00:05:30 --> 00:05:33 takes plenty of creative liberties turning
00:05:33 --> 00:05:35 Marty Mauser into this larger than life
00:05:35 --> 00:05:35 antihero.
00:05:36 --> 00:05:39 Jessica: I love that. It's like they've taken the
00:05:39 --> 00:05:41 essence of Reisman's story and turned it into
00:05:41 --> 00:05:44 something bigger and more dramatic and. And
00:05:44 --> 00:05:46 with Josh Saadfie directing, you know it's
00:05:46 --> 00:05:47 going to be a wild ride.
00:05:48 --> 00:05:51 Chris: Oh, it is. Saadfi co wrote the script
00:05:51 --> 00:05:53 with Ronald Bronstein and they've created
00:05:53 --> 00:05:55 this world that feels chaotic and
00:05:56 --> 00:05:58 unpredictable, but also deeply human.
00:05:59 --> 00:06:01 You can't help but get caught up in Marty's
00:06:01 --> 00:06:02 journey, even when he's making terrible
00:06:02 --> 00:06:03 decisions.
00:06:04 --> 00:06:07 Jessica: So what's the takeaway here? Is
00:06:07 --> 00:06:10 it a story about perseverance? About chasing
00:06:10 --> 00:06:11 your dreams no matter what?
00:06:12 --> 00:06:14 Chris: I think it's a little of both. But it's also
00:06:14 --> 00:06:17 a cautionary tale. Marty's got these sky
00:06:17 --> 00:06:20 high expectations for himself, but he's
00:06:20 --> 00:06:22 constantly getting in his own way. It's a
00:06:22 --> 00:06:24 reminder that ambition alone isn't enough.
00:06:24 --> 00:06:26 You need to be willing to adapt and learn
00:06:26 --> 00:06:27 from your mistakes.
00:06:27 --> 00:06:30 Jessica: That's a great point. And it sounds like the
00:06:30 --> 00:06:32 movie strikes a balance between being
00:06:32 --> 00:06:34 entertaining and thought provoking.
00:06:35 --> 00:06:37 Plus, who would have thought a film about
00:06:37 --> 00:06:39 table tennis could be so dramatic, right?
00:06:40 --> 00:06:42 Chris: It's proof that with the right story and the
00:06:42 --> 00:06:45 right characters, you can make anything
00:06:45 --> 00:06:47 compelling. Marty supreme is a film that
00:06:47 --> 00:06:50 sticks with you long after the credits roll.
00:06:50 --> 00:06:53 Jessica: Well, you've sold me on it. I can't wait to
00:06:53 --> 00:06:55 watch it and see how Marty's chaotic journey
00:06:55 --> 00:06:56 unfolds.
00:06:56 --> 00:06:59 Chris: Rated MA, Marty supreme scores an 8 1/2 out
00:06:59 --> 00:07:01 of 10. Make sure you see it.
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