Christy: A Review

CHRISTY

When going to a biographical film, more often than not, the viewer knows the subject. I think that many people might not know who Christy Martin, the subject of Christy, is. That will actually work in the viewers' favor. Christy is a well-acted and based film, one that will move the audience.

Christy Salters (Sydney Sweeney) has a humdrum life in West Virginia. She lives with her mother Joyce (Merritt Wever), her father Johnny (Ethan Embry) and her brother Randy (Coleman Pedigo). Almost as a lark, Christy boxes in a local tournament for the small cash prize. She finds that she is a natural boxer and enjoys it, if only as an offbeat hobby.

Her skills soon attract the attention of boxing promoters. They think Christy can be both a breakout star and bring female boxing to the mainstream. They bring her to trainer Jim Martin (Ben Foster). He is efficient. He is cold towards the idea of training a woman. He is also drawn to Christy, enough to propose marriage. He also is fervently against Christy having same-sex relationships.

A few years later, the now Christy Martin continues to trudge on in her boxing career. Jim takes her money and despite endless promises still cannot get her to meet boxing impresario Don King. He also essentially pimps her out to men to box with as a way to get extra cash. Their hand-to-mouth existence finally breaks when others arrange for Don King (Chad Coleman) and Christy to meet. Only in America can a female boxer get signed by such a legendary figure, the first woman King promotes. Christy, who has a trademark look of wearing pink in the ring, now becomes boxing's "the Coal Miner's Daughter".

Christy's professional career goes from strength to strength. Soon, money is coming in. Unfortunately, the hold that Jim has over Christy does not shrink. He grows more controlling and abusive, at least once physically. He also goads her into making comments about her lack of pay. This does not sit well with King, who warns her never to complain publicly about her purses again. 

As times goes by, Christy finds it harder and harder to stay on top. She is the rare female fighter who did not form a career as a boxing legend's daughter. She has a bout scheduled with Laila Ali (Naomi Graham), daughter of the Mohammed Ali. This is an insane fight, as Laila is not just taller but younger. Despite her misgivings, Christy goes forth to poor results. Things only get worse when Jim finally crosses the line from merely controlling and into murderous. Will Christy overcome the horrifying attack on her life? Will Lisa Holewyne (Katy O'Brien), a former rival, help her make a comeback? 

Sydney Sweeney has built a career almost if not exclusively on her looks. She is a buxom woman who as of now has not been considered a legitimate actress. Christy is Sweeney's first strong effort to downplay her beauty and have us focus on her performance. To coin a phrase, you've come a long way, baby. 

Sydney Sweeney gives an incredibly strong performance as Christy Martin. She has a soft manner and vague West Virginia twang that lets the viewer focus on Christy. Even the times when Christy is cocky, she still has a charm to her that is endearing. Sweeney has made great strides in showcasing that she can actually act and is not just a voluptuous beauty. One feels for Christy: her joy, her frustrations, her fears. 

The attempted murder of Christy Martin horrifies the viewer. This is because screenwriters Mirrah Foulkes and Christy's director David Michod do what good films should do. They show just enough and leave the rest to the viewers' imagination. Using one shot, we see Jim, in a rage, stab Christy. However, we do not see the knife penetrations. We see him repeatedly thrusting the knife, but the bed blocks our view. We hear Christy's yelps of pain, shock and horror. We also see the aftereffects, which will chill the viewer. I do not think that I have heard such reactions in a screening as I have with Christy.

Sydney Sweeney shows that with the right material and right direction she can turn in a strong acting performance. It takes a lot of skill to be able to stand toe-to-toe with an especially skilled actor like Ben Foster. Under makeup and padding, Foster is also almost equally unrecognizable as Jim Martin. He shows how Jim wormed his way into being Christy's controller. One can see the darkness behind the generally soft manner. He rarely raises his voice, but we see how awful Jim is towards his wife. The film effectively shows how someone who made a living out of punching others could not fight back the same way with someone as cruel and controlling as Jim. 

Credit should also go to the supporting cast. Merritt Wever exudes antipathy as Joyce. She is harsh, judgmental and unsympathetic. After her daughter is almost murdered by Jim, Joyce orders Christy's female friend out of the room (Christy is unconscious at the time). Later, when Christy asks where her friend is, Joyce in a faux-caring voice says that she told her to leave. Joyce's disapproval of Christy's lesbianism was greater than her daughter coming close to being violently killed.

Ethan Embry is, like Foster, unrecognizable in his small role as John. He seems to want to stay out of things until he comes close to losing his daughter. His genuine pain is well-acted. Katy O'Brien also does fine work as Christy's frenemy Lisa, a rival in the ring, a helper out of it. Though his role is small, Chad Coleman has that mixture of bravado and menace as Don King. He could be the larger-than-life figure who chuckles at the thought that Jim would have any say over him. He could also be quietly menacing, as when he tells Christy to knock off the public comments on what she makes and he takes.

The boxing scenes are well-filmed and get the viewer involved. I do not remember the music, but I do not think it intrudes into scenes. 

I noted the audience reaction when watching Christy. People were involved in the story. I think I heard someone call out "BITCH!" when Joyce smugly told Christy that she ordered her potential love interest out. That kind of audience engagement is rare nowadays. I found Christy to be a well-made, well-acted film. Despite its two-hour-and-fifteen-minute runtime, one does not feel it drags. 

Christy makes a strong case that behind her bust, Sydney Sweeney has great potential as an actress. Separate from that, Christy is a film that is worth the time to see.

Born 1968

DECISION: B+