Overview
- Early critics single out Chalamet’s lead turn and Josh Safdie’s anxious, high-velocity filmmaking, with frequent comparisons to Uncut Gems.
- The film takes loose inspiration from 1950s champion Marty Reisman, with acknowledged departures from fact including shifting a key 1952 tournament’s locale.
- Safdie describes the project as rooted in postwar Jewish pride and cultural survival, emphasizing those themes in recent interviews.
- Real-life Japanese table-tennis champion Koto Kawaguchi makes his screen debut as the rival Endo, discussing his experience and Chalamet’s craft in a new interview.
- A high-profile ensemble includes Gwyneth Paltrow, Kevin O’Leary, Tyler Okonma and Abel Ferrara, with O’Leary recalling a much-discussed disciplinary scene shot with Chalamet.