The highly anticipated boxing biopic Christy, starring Sydney Sweeney as groundbreaking female boxer Christy Martin, has landed with a disappointing thud according to critics. Director David Michôd's film fails to capture the power and significance of Martin's remarkable story both inside and outside the ring.
A Story That Should Pack a Punch
The film chronicles the incredible true story of Christy Salters Martin, who rose to become the world's most successful female boxing champion during the 1990s and 2000s under the promotion of legendary boxing figure Don King. However, her professional success masked a horrifying personal life dominated by domestic abuse and coercive control from her husband and manager, Jim Martin.
Despite the powerful source material, critics note the film manages to be both unsubtle and lacking in genuine power. Sydney Sweeney delivers what's being described as an uninspired performance under Michôd's direction, resulting in a character that never plausibly develops throughout the film.
Missed Opportunities and Problematic Portrayals
Ben Foster appears as Christy's monstrous husband Jim Martin, complete with combover and paunch, playing the man who discovers Christy's raw boxing talent while she's still a high-school basketball enthusiast. The film reportedly gives more attention to this abusive character than to Christy's own journey.
Merritt Wever is wasted in the cartoonish role of Christy's homophobic mother Joyce, who becomes complicit in Jim Martin's abuse by pressuring Christy to marry him. The film depicts horrendous abuse including forced participation in private sex bouts and porn videos that ran parallel to Christy's rising boxing career.
Boxing Sequences Lack Authenticity
The boxing scenes themselves come under criticism for presenting an unbroken string of victories that become tiresome, ignoring the reality that Martin did experience losses that helped shape her career. The film apparently flinches from showing her notable defeat to Laila Ali, daughter of Muhammad Ali.
This contrasts sharply with Sweeney's acclaimed performance in Reality, demonstrating her capability as a detailed performer when given stronger material. Unfortunately, Christy is being described as a stodgy, lifeless piece of work that fails to deliver the emotional impact of either a traditional boxing movie or a serious exploration of domestic abuse.
Christy arrives in UK and Irish cinemas on 28 November, though early reviews suggest audiences might want to wait for streaming rather than making a special trip to the cinema.
