Marty Supreme

If there’s one thing the title character in Marty Supreme believes in more than himself, it’s table tennis, which represents his path to fame and fortune.

The film seems to side with him, showcasing epic paddle battles with all the sweaty intensity of a high-stakes prizefight. The solo directorial debut of Josh Safdie (Uncut Gems) is a riveting thriller about a 1950s hustler and schemer determined to succeed yet destined to fail.

Anchored by a terrific lead performance by Timothee Chalamet, it recombines familiar tropes — coming-of-age, rags to riches, chasing the American Dream — into a fresh and invigorating package.

Marty is a New York shoe salesman who also happens to be one of the world’s top players in table tennis, which is immensely popular in Asia but largely dismissed in the United States at the time.

He feels disrespected by its perception as more of a sideshow than a sport, and uses that to fuel his rebellious reputation as a slick-talking swindler. An unfiltered loose cannon, he jokes about the Holocaust and regularly defies authority.

Abrasive yet charming, he’s above all a showman, a scrappy underdog who refuses to admit it. “Everything in my life is falling apart, but I’m gonna figure it out,” he proclaims.

Carrying on an affair with a married and pregnant ex-girlfriend (Odessa A’zion), Marty scrapes together enough cash to attend a world championship tournament in London.

That’s where he meets Kay (Gwyneth Paltrow), a famous actress and wife of a business tycoon (Kevin O’Leary). Both are drawn to Marty for different reasons during his opportunistic quest to dethrone a Japanese rival (Koto Kawaguchi).

The remarkably versatile Chalamet generates hard-earned sympathy for a man of fascinating contradictions. Digging beneath his quirks, Chalamet brings conviction to a character who’s brash and arrogant, tenacious and determined, hilariously inappropriate, and disarmingly clever.

Meanwhile, the irreverent screenplay carries a propulsive, unpredictable energy as its story becomes detached from reality almost like a tall tale.

The meticulous period re-creation immerses us in the setting, and the eclectic cast adds to the gonzo allure. Among those popping up in smaller roles are rapper Tyler Okonma, filmmaker Abel Ferrara, magician Penn Jillette, and basketball legend George Gervin.

Like its protagonist, Marty Supreme is both exhausting and endearing, maintaining our rooting interest against the odds. Turning us all into rubberneckers witnessing a car accident, his film is quite the hero’s journey.

Rated R, 149 minutes.