“… a Ping Pong meets Rocky story, it throws that storyline out the window and goes for a catastrophe comedy instead.”
Con Nats
4.5 Stars or Ping Pong Balls
Marty Mauser (Timothée Chalamet) is a fast-talking American. He’s an arrogant and ambitious table tennis player competing for the 1955 world title. He’s a charmer who sweet talks his way into the Ritz Hotel and the attention of Gwyneth. He is also very good player and makes it to the final only to lose to Endo (Koto Kawaguchi) a Japanese player who becomes a national hero. Marty returns home a loser determined to return to the next world championship to find redemption.
Even though this sets up for a Ping Pong meets Rocky story, it throws that storyline out the window and goes for a catastrophe comedy instead.
Marty returns to find his girlfriend Rachel (Odessa A’Zion) is pregnant. The problem is she’s married to a violent labourer who lives in the same apartment block. Marty is then placed under arrest for stealing money that is owed to him by his uncle. His goal is to get to Japan.
This unleashes a series of storylines that I’d hate to spoil but involves a crashing bath tub, an injured gangster, a dog, an unhappy movie actress (Gwyneth Paltrow) and a billionaire called Rockwell (Abel Farrera) who wants to break into Japan. To explain all the plot twists would take pages. Basically anyone who crosses paths with Marty is left with their life in a mess.
Writer-Director Josh Shafdie has attracted a top line cast even for minor roles. Timothée Chalamet is perfect as Marty. He can balance arrogance and his fast talking charm with an innocence born from ambition and he lost a lot of weight for the role. He’s taking on more challenging roles and acing them.
A’Zion as his girlfriend grows into her role and is great in support. Film maker Abel Ferrera has jumped the barrier and is excellent as Rockwell and Paltrow as his wife is also very good.
Shafdie and Ronald Bronstein have co-written a hilarious script. The comedy is relentless. The costumes and sets are true to the era and play to the times. I do wonder why directors use new versions of modern songs instead of music from those times and the hand-held camera work brings up the tension but also make it feel more modern. However, these are minor quibbles.
Eventually there is a rematch but it’s nothing like a Rocky film and the ending is a satisfying yet unpredictable one.
At two and a half hours, Shafdie has done a great job in keeping up the pace and mayhem. It doesn’t feel too long, although you’ll feel the exhaustion of keeping up with Marty.
4.5 Ping Pong balls
Con Nats, On The Screen
