‘Christy‘ Review: Sydney Sweeney Delivers, but Biopic struggles to Land Punches
Los Angeles – Sydney Sweeney silences doubters with a committed performance in “Christy,” a new biopic charting the life of boxing legend Christy Martin. However, the film, in wide release Friday, Nov. 7, falters in its execution, prioritizing slick melodrama over the gritty nuance its subject deserves.
The film portrays martin (Sweeney) as a natural competitor finding solace and agency through boxing, escaping the judgment of her small-town life and a chilly relationship with her mother (Merritt Wever). Sweeney convincingly embodies Martin’s spirited energy and relentless drive, showcasing a fighter who appears both steadfast and destined to win.
Though, the film stumbles in its depiction of Martin’s relationship with trainer and eventual husband, Jim Martin (Ben Foster). Foster’s portrayal, described as ”eerily dead-eyed” and ”a bit on the nose,” fails to establish why Christy would place her trust – and future – in his judgment. This undermines Sweeney’s efforts to portray the complexities of remaining in a decades-long, toxic relationship.
Critics note Michôd’s reliance on montage sequences to accelerate the narrative, and praise supporting performances from ethan Embry as Martin’s supportive father, Katy O’Brian as a former rival, and Chad L. Coleman as Don King.
Despite Sweeney’s “sturdy in-the-moment” acting, notably through her expressive eyes, the film ultimately feels incomplete. It aims to be both celebratory of Martin’s achievements and honest about her trauma and sexuality, but lands as “all highlights and lowlights, rarely interested in the in-between stuff.”
“Christy” is rated R for language, violence/bloody images, some drug use and sexual material. It runs 2 hours and 15 minutes.
