The family of real-life table tennis champion Marty Reisman has criticised the new film 'Marty Supreme', starring Timothée Chalamet, for its inaccuracies. The film, directed by Josh Safdie, is loosely inspired by Reisman, a 1950s US table tennis player known for hustling and showmanship.
In the movie, Chalamet plays Marty Mauser, a young Jewish man working in a New York shoe shop who dreams of table tennis success. The family claims the portrayal bears little resemblance to Reisman's actual life and career, with the film taking significant creative liberties.
Critics have praised the film for its frenetic energy and Chalamet's performance, but the Reisman family argues that the fictionalised account misrepresents the sportsman's legacy. The film includes scenes of gambling, racism, and antisemitism that the family says were not part of Reisman's story.
'Marty Supreme' also features Gwyneth Paltrow as a retired movie star and includes a table tennis match against a Japanese champion. The family hopes viewers will understand that the film is not a biographical account but a work of fiction inspired by Reisman's life.
