‘Christy’ review: A dark biopic that feels spiritually connected to ‘I, Tonya’ (complimentary)
4/5 boxing gloves
Biopics are, currently, a dime a dozen so when one stands out from the pack, it tends to make a lasting impression. While the new movie Christy didn’t reinvent the genre, it does find its own path in telling the tragic story of Christy Martin (Sydney Sweeney).
Christy is a famous boxer but her story is known because of the actions of her old manager and ex-husband, Jim Martin (Ben Foster). Throughout the film, we get to see Christy struggling with her identity. The real Christy is married now to Lisa Holewyne (Katy O’Brian) and David Michôd, along with co-writer Mirrah Foulkes, does a great job of weaving in Christy’s struggle with her sexuality in with the control that Jim and her parents had on her life.
She was a great boxer, one that was making a name for women in the sport, but she had sexist and toxic men like Jim telling her that she wasn’t a “feminist icon” and Michôd’s film does a great job with that. Which is why this movie, in a lot of ways, reminds me of I, Tonya, yet another biopic about an imperfect woman.
Margot Robbie’s Tonya Harding highlights how women making the climb in the late 80s and 90s, and particularly white women, would constantly be in it for themselves. Christy’s is a bit different but she still didn’t push back at the narrative Jim helped build around her. And after seeing Christy and what happened to her in the privacy of their own home, it makes sense.
But both I, Tonya and Christy allow for these complicated women a chance to tell their side of the story. Arguably, Christy‘s ends up a bit more inspiring and a lot less jokey than I, Tonya but you get the idea.
Sydney Sweeney’s best work yet
The role of Christy Martin had Sweeney changing her looks, her body, and ended up bringing her a role she could really shine in. She’s often pigeon-holed into specific kinds of characters but with Christy, she’s getting to play all the layers that make up Christy Martin in a way that felt different from her previous work.
Christy as a character allows Sweeney to show that she can and should always play these kinds of women. Biopics aren’t easy but Christy allows its main character to be flawed and real in a way that we haven’t seen a lot of. But it is a hard film to watch. This is a story of a woman who was fierce and strong in the ring but who was fighting a different kind of battle at home.
Jim Martin is an abusive man and Christy faced countless years of both physical and mental abuse from him until Jim’s attempt on her life in 2010. Watching as Foster and Sweeney work through the toxic and abusive relationship of Jim and Christy feels uncomfortable and that’s the point. You shouldn’t be comfortable watching what this man did to her.
And through it all, Christy is a hopeful story because Martin’s story is an inspiration. And getting to see how Sweeney, Michôd, and Foulkes brought her story to life is worth it.
Christy is in theaters on November 7.
(featured image: Black Bear)
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