Chasing Dreams and Chaos: The Tale of 'Marty Supreme'

WEBVTT

0
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.920
Chris: Okay, so here's something wild to think

1
00:00:02.920 --> 00:00:05.760
about. In 1952, when

2
00:00:05.760 --> 00:00:08.280
most Americans barely knew table tennis was a

3
00:00:08.280 --> 00:00:10.920
competitive sport, one guy decided he was

4
00:00:10.920 --> 00:00:13.800
going to make it his ticket to fame. And not

5
00:00:13.800 --> 00:00:16.720
just any fameworld champion level fame.

6
00:00:17.120 --> 00:00:19.320
Jessica: That's such a bold move, especially for a

7
00:00:19.320 --> 00:00:21.160
sport that wasn't exactly in the spotlight

8
00:00:21.160 --> 00:00:24.160
back then. Who was this guy and what made

9
00:00:24.160 --> 00:00:25.280
him think he could pull it off?

10
00:00:26.250 --> 00:00:28.370
Chris: His name was Marty Mauser and he's the

11
00:00:28.370 --> 00:00:31.130
centerpiece of this new movie, Marty Supreme.

12
00:00:31.370 --> 00:00:33.610
He's a 23 year old hustler from New York City

13
00:00:34.090 --> 00:00:35.770
working in his uncle's shoe store on the

14
00:00:35.770 --> 00:00:38.210
Lower east side. And while he's great at

15
00:00:38.210 --> 00:00:40.450
selling shoes, like he could sell you a pair

16
00:00:40.450 --> 00:00:42.610
even if you didn't have feet, he couldn't

17
00:00:42.610 --> 00:00:45.290
care less about the job. His real

18
00:00:45.290 --> 00:00:48.130
dream? To become the world's greatest table

19
00:00:48.130 --> 00:00:48.890
tennis player.

20
00:00:49.610 --> 00:00:51.370
Jessica: That's such an unexpected ambition,

21
00:00:52.120 --> 00:00:54.440
especially for someone in 1950s New York.

22
00:00:55.240 --> 00:00:57.760
I mean, table tennis wasn't exactly a career

23
00:00:57.760 --> 00:01:00.400
path back then. What made him think he could

24
00:01:00.400 --> 00:01:01.000
make it big?

25
00:01:02.520 --> 00:01:04.920
Chris: Confidence. Marty's got this

26
00:01:04.920 --> 00:01:07.800
unshakable belief in himself, bordering

27
00:01:07.800 --> 00:01:10.760
on arrogance. He's convinced he can not only

28
00:01:10.760 --> 00:01:13.400
dominate the sport, but also make it a

29
00:01:13.400 --> 00:01:16.240
headline worthy phenomenon. So

30
00:01:16.240 --> 00:01:18.650
he decides to leave New York and head to

31
00:01:18.650 --> 00:01:20.370
London to compete in the British Open,

32
00:01:20.690 --> 00:01:22.210
thinking that's his big break.

33
00:01:23.010 --> 00:01:25.330
Jessica: London? That's a pretty gutsy move.

34
00:01:25.970 --> 00:01:27.970
So he just packs up and heads overseas.

35
00:01:28.690 --> 00:01:30.690
I'm guessing things don't go as planned?

36
00:01:31.490 --> 00:01:34.330
Chris: Oh, not even close. Marty's not exactly

37
00:01:34.330 --> 00:01:37.130
known for his subtlety or charm. The moment

38
00:01:37.130 --> 00:01:39.170
he gets there, he starts making waves,

39
00:01:39.650 --> 00:01:41.170
complaining about his accommodations,

40
00:01:41.570 --> 00:01:44.170
clashing with officials and just generally

41
00:01:44.170 --> 00:01:46.530
rubbing people the wrong way. And then

42
00:01:46.530 --> 00:01:49.330
there's this whole subplot with Kay Stone, a

43
00:01:49.330 --> 00:01:52.250
retired movie star played by Gwyneth Paltrow.

44
00:01:53.210 --> 00:01:55.530
Jessica: Wait, so now there's a love interest?

45
00:01:56.570 --> 00:01:59.050
Or is it more of a one sided thing with Marty

46
00:01:59.050 --> 00:02:00.010
chasing after her?

47
00:02:00.810 --> 00:02:03.610
Chris: It's complicated. Kay's married to this

48
00:02:03.610 --> 00:02:06.210
wealthy businessman, Milton Rockwell, played

49
00:02:06.210 --> 00:02:08.810
by Kevin o'. Leary. Marty doesn't just flirt

50
00:02:08.810 --> 00:02:10.690
with Kay, he also makes it a point to

51
00:02:10.690 --> 00:02:13.190
introduce himself to Milton. It's like he's

52
00:02:13.190 --> 00:02:15.150
trying to force his way into their world,

53
00:02:15.470 --> 00:02:17.310
even though he clearly doesn't belong there.

54
00:02:18.030 --> 00:02:19.750
Jessica: That sounds messy, but also kind of

55
00:02:19.750 --> 00:02:22.430
fascinating. And then there's the actual

56
00:02:22.430 --> 00:02:24.590
table tennis competition. Uh, right.

57
00:02:25.390 --> 00:02:27.070
How does Marty fare on that front?

58
00:02:28.270 --> 00:02:30.190
Chris: Well, this is where things really heat up.

59
00:02:30.670 --> 00:02:33.150
Marty's blindsided by this Japanese player,

60
00:02:33.230 --> 00:02:35.590
Koto Endo, played by Koto

61
00:02:35.590 --> 00:02:38.070
Kawaguchi. Endo's Uh, a

62
00:02:38.070 --> 00:02:40.100
powerhouse, and he ends up becoming a

63
00:02:40.100 --> 00:02:42.940
national hero. Marty, on the other hand,

64
00:02:43.020 --> 00:02:45.820
is left in the dust. But the thing about

65
00:02:45.820 --> 00:02:48.780
Marty is he doesn't give up. He sets

66
00:02:48.780 --> 00:02:51.100
his sights on getting revenge, no matter what

67
00:02:51.100 --> 00:02:51.740
it takes.

68
00:02:52.620 --> 00:02:55.300
Jessica: So it's not just a story about chasing a

69
00:02:55.300 --> 00:02:57.940
dream. It's also about dealing with failure

70
00:02:57.940 --> 00:03:00.780
and figuring out how to bounce back. I

71
00:03:00.780 --> 00:03:03.780
like that. But it sounds like Marty's life

72
00:03:03.780 --> 00:03:05.100
is kind of a mess overall.

73
00:03:06.520 --> 00:03:09.040
Chris: Oh, it's an absolute train wreck. He's living

74
00:03:09.040 --> 00:03:11.520
hand to mouth, barely scraping by. And then

75
00:03:11.520 --> 00:03:14.080
there's his neighbor Rachel, played by Odessa

76
00:03:14.080 --> 00:03:16.680
Azian. She's pregnant, married, and her

77
00:03:16.680 --> 00:03:19.480
personal life is falling apart. Marty gets

78
00:03:19.480 --> 00:03:21.040
caught up in her drama too, because, of

79
00:03:21.040 --> 00:03:21.799
course he does.

80
00:03:22.600 --> 00:03:25.120
Jessica: Wow. So he's juggling his table tennis

81
00:03:25.120 --> 00:03:27.840
ambitions, a complicated love triangle, and

82
00:03:27.840 --> 00:03:30.840
his neighbor's crises. That's a

83
00:03:30.840 --> 00:03:32.040
lot for one guy to handle.

84
00:03:32.940 --> 00:03:35.100
Chris: It is, and that's what makes the movie so

85
00:03:35.100 --> 00:03:37.780
engaging. Marty's constantly chasing his own

86
00:03:37.780 --> 00:03:40.460
tail, trying to keep up with everything. He's

87
00:03:40.460 --> 00:03:42.340
his own worst enemy, but you can't help

88
00:03:42.340 --> 00:03:43.100
rooting for him.

89
00:03:43.740 --> 00:03:46.660
Jessica: I have to say, I'm intrigued. And Timothee

90
00:03:46.660 --> 00:03:49.460
Chalamet as Marty? That feels like perfect

91
00:03:49.460 --> 00:03:52.060
casting. He's got that mix of charm and

92
00:03:52.060 --> 00:03:54.180
intensity that sounds like it'd be spot on

93
00:03:54.180 --> 00:03:54.860
for this role.

94
00:03:55.580 --> 00:03:58.180
Chris: Oh, he's phenomenal. He's fast talking,

95
00:03:58.180 --> 00:04:01.170
ambitious, and completely unfiltered. You

96
00:04:01.170 --> 00:04:03.290
can see how Marty manages to scrape by

97
00:04:03.290 --> 00:04:05.210
despite all the chaos in his life.

98
00:04:05.850 --> 00:04:07.850
Chalamet really brings him to life.

99
00:04:08.490 --> 00:04:11.490
Jessica: And what about Gwyneth Paltrow as Kay? I

100
00:04:11.490 --> 00:04:13.210
feel like she'd nail the role of a woman

101
00:04:13.210 --> 00:04:15.409
who's intrigued by Marty, but also knows

102
00:04:15.409 --> 00:04:16.490
better than to get involved.

103
00:04:17.450 --> 00:04:20.130
Chris: She's fantastic. K's marriage has

104
00:04:20.130 --> 00:04:22.370
clearly seen better days. And while she knows

105
00:04:22.370 --> 00:04:24.330
Marty's trouble, there's something about his

106
00:04:24.330 --> 00:04:27.210
audacity that excites her. Paltrow

107
00:04:27.210 --> 00:04:28.890
captures that tension perfectly.

108
00:04:29.610 --> 00:04:31.690
Jessica: And Odessa Azian as Rachel.

109
00:04:32.410 --> 00:04:34.410
It sounds like her character's dealing with a

110
00:04:34.410 --> 00:04:34.890
lot too.

111
00:04:36.010 --> 00:04:38.690
Chris: Absolutely. Rachel's marriage is falling

112
00:04:38.690 --> 00:04:40.810
apart and she's trying to hold it together

113
00:04:40.810 --> 00:04:43.490
while dealing with her pregnancy. Asian

114
00:04:43.490 --> 00:04:46.250
brings a lot of resilience to the role. She's

115
00:04:46.250 --> 00:04:49.210
captivating to watch, so it sounds

116
00:04:49.210 --> 00:04:51.090
Jessica: like the performances are a big part of what

117
00:04:51.090 --> 00:04:52.010
makes this movie work.

118
00:04:53.060 --> 00:04:55.980
But what about the story itself? Does it keep

119
00:04:55.980 --> 00:04:56.580
you hooked?

120
00:04:57.620 --> 00:05:00.540
Chris: Oh, definitely. It's full of twists and

121
00:05:00.540 --> 00:05:02.540
turns. Just when you think you know where

122
00:05:02.540 --> 00:05:04.820
it's going, it takes a sharp left turn.

123
00:05:05.220 --> 00:05:07.820
It's like a roller coaster ride. You're never

124
00:05:07.820 --> 00:05:09.380
quite sure what's going to happen next.

125
00:05:10.020 --> 00:05:12.780
Jessica: That sounds like a lot of fun. And the fact

126
00:05:12.780 --> 00:05:14.900
that it's based loosely on a real life table

127
00:05:14.900 --> 00:05:17.500
tennis player, Marty Reisman, adds an extra

128
00:05:17.500 --> 00:05:18.420
layer of intrigue.

129
00:05:19.570 --> 00:05:22.370
Chris: It does. Reisman was the US

130
00:05:22.450 --> 00:05:25.170
men's singles champion in 1958 and

131
00:05:25.170 --> 00:05:27.770
1960, so there's a real life

132
00:05:27.770 --> 00:05:30.530
foundation to the story. But the movie

133
00:05:30.530 --> 00:05:33.130
takes plenty of creative liberties turning

134
00:05:33.130 --> 00:05:35.170
Marty Mauser into this larger than life

135
00:05:35.170 --> 00:05:35.970
antihero.

136
00:05:36.770 --> 00:05:39.530
Jessica: I love that. It's like they've taken the

137
00:05:39.530 --> 00:05:41.850
essence of Reisman's story and turned it into

138
00:05:41.850 --> 00:05:44.380
something bigger and more dramatic and. And

139
00:05:44.380 --> 00:05:46.620
with Josh Saadfie directing, you know it's

140
00:05:46.620 --> 00:05:47.740
going to be a wild ride.

141
00:05:48.540 --> 00:05:51.460
Chris: Oh, it is. Saadfi co wrote the script

142
00:05:51.460 --> 00:05:53.780
with Ronald Bronstein and they've created

143
00:05:53.780 --> 00:05:55.740
this world that feels chaotic and

144
00:05:56.060 --> 00:05:58.780
unpredictable, but also deeply human.

145
00:05:59.420 --> 00:06:01.380
You can't help but get caught up in Marty's

146
00:06:01.380 --> 00:06:02.940
journey, even when he's making terrible

147
00:06:02.940 --> 00:06:03.580
decisions.

148
00:06:04.540 --> 00:06:07.460
Jessica: So what's the takeaway here? Is

149
00:06:07.460 --> 00:06:10.390
it a story about perseverance? About chasing

150
00:06:10.390 --> 00:06:11.590
your dreams no matter what?

151
00:06:12.390 --> 00:06:14.630
Chris: I think it's a little of both. But it's also

152
00:06:14.630 --> 00:06:17.470
a cautionary tale. Marty's got these sky

153
00:06:17.470 --> 00:06:20.030
high expectations for himself, but he's

154
00:06:20.030 --> 00:06:22.430
constantly getting in his own way. It's a

155
00:06:22.430 --> 00:06:24.470
reminder that ambition alone isn't enough.

156
00:06:24.790 --> 00:06:26.870
You need to be willing to adapt and learn

157
00:06:26.870 --> 00:06:27.670
from your mistakes.

158
00:06:27.990 --> 00:06:30.830
Jessica: That's a great point. And it sounds like the

159
00:06:30.830 --> 00:06:32.590
movie strikes a balance between being

160
00:06:32.590 --> 00:06:34.310
entertaining and thought provoking.

161
00:06:35.520 --> 00:06:37.240
Plus, who would have thought a film about

162
00:06:37.240 --> 00:06:39.920
table tennis could be so dramatic, right?

163
00:06:40.400 --> 00:06:42.720
Chris: It's proof that with the right story and the

164
00:06:42.720 --> 00:06:45.080
right characters, you can make anything

165
00:06:45.080 --> 00:06:47.840
compelling. Marty supreme is a film that

166
00:06:47.840 --> 00:06:50.640
sticks with you long after the credits roll.

167
00:06:50.960 --> 00:06:53.640
Jessica: Well, you've sold me on it. I can't wait to

168
00:06:53.640 --> 00:06:55.640
watch it and see how Marty's chaotic journey

169
00:06:55.640 --> 00:06:56.240
unfolds.

170
00:06:56.640 --> 00:06:59.640
Chris: Rated MA, Marty supreme scores an 8 1/2 out

171
00:06:59.640 --> 00:07:01.440
of 10. Make sure you see it.

172
00:07:01.520 --> 00:07:03.760
Voice Over Guy: You've been listening to movies first

173
00:07:04.000 --> 00:07:06.560
available at Apple Podcasts, Spot,

174
00:07:07.420 --> 00:07:10.060
Heart Radio or your favorite podcast player.

175
00:07:10.140 --> 00:07:13.100
You can also stream on demand@bytes.com

176
00:07:13.260 --> 00:07:13.540
this

177
00:07:13.540 --> 00:07:15.900
Chris: has been another quality podcast production

178
00:07:15.900 --> 00:07:17.420
from bytes.com.