While the performances are certainly good, and the frenetic and energetic cinematography and spirit of the film is nice, the story itself feels lacking. A young man pursues his dream of becoming a table-tennis champion, and along the way there are challenges. That's pretty much it. Nothing groundbreaking. It's basically a common sports film we've all seen for the umpteenth time made to soothe the masses. Throughout the runtime, I remember thinking that it's both too long and contains things that work. Quite a few times I wondered when the film would conclude.
The film should've been tabled (tennis) for editing. The acting across the board is good and charming, with Chalamet doing all he could here, and Paltrow giving a subtle, winsome turn as a glamorous movie star. But the film does ultimately feel overlong, melodramatic, and quite formulaic. And that's due to the undercooked script. It's just another underdog-aspiring-to-be-a-champion film that just doesn't quite stick its landing. It doesn't feel as inspiring as it aims to be. The action scenes often feel unearned and like they were added in solely for shock value rather than feeling organic. And the subject matter, table-tennis, is not in itself all that compelling. While yes, the way the sport scenes are filmed is engaging and dynamic, and it's in these scenes where the cinematography shines, ultimately you're kind of just watching a guy hit a ball back and forth across tables. The main character is ornery and isn't really likeable and is rather immature for much of the film, which can be hard to watch. There is a silly scene involving a paddle and a butt that felt really contrived, anachronistic, and out of place.
When the film ended, I remembered thinking, is that it? And, I don't want to spoil things, but when you see the ending you'll understand: it sort of misses the mark. It's all just so predictable. Bigger swings, pun intended, could've been taken here to make the film less generic.
I did enjoy that the film felt sort of deliberate at times. A number of characters are played by actors who themselves are in a way, the characters they play. For instance, you have O'Leary, a real-life businessman, portraying a businessman; and Kawaguchi, a real-life table-tennis player, portraying a table-tennis player. This choice brought the film a kind of verisimilitude that was an interesting choice. Further, it isn't afraid to poke fun at American entitlement, stereotypical Jewish avarice and miserliness, and the gritty reality of how the American Dream isn't necessarily all it's cracked up to be. There are some touching and funny moments sprinkled throughout the film. And the music and cinematography are nice.
Overall, the film is just alright to maybe slightly above average. Charming performances, nice visuals, and some interesting commentary carry the film.
