Love me a good biopic! And last night’s Monday Night Mystery Movie was the brand new film, Christy, starring Sydney Sweeney and Ben Foster. Going in without any real expectations, I was genuinely captivated by the story of a woman who was a true trailblazer, even though her journey was incredibly dark.
This film follows Christy Martin, a woman from a small town in West Virginia who found a love for boxing. Because she was a female, she really didn’t think that she could do much with it. Like, it wasn’t something that was happening in the boxing world. And yet, she was one of the pioneers of women in boxing, to the point that she was working with Don King, getting these big fights, and earning big purses. She absolutely was a pioneer. The story, though, really goes into that—how she became who she was and how she was the foundation behind this sport.
The True Fight Happens Outside the Ring
But, and this is where the story gets intense, it really is about the toxic and abusive relationship she had with her manager, trainer, slash husband, James Martin (played by the phenomenal Ben Foster).
There are many different themes in this. Yes, there’s a story about this woman, a pioneer in a sport. But she is also hiding who she really is. She was a lesbian, and she was really shamed by her family, along with this trainer, who then became her husband. She really wanted to hide that element and piece to who she was. And in doing so, her life goes off the rails. It has this very traumatic thing with this abuse that she was getting from her husband, and the dynamic there is, at times, very hard to watch.
A Necessary Warning
This movie won’t be for everyone. It can be triggering, so I want people to be very aware of it. Specifically, by the end of this film, there are some very traumatic scenes that bring this story to a close, in a sense. And it’s tough to watch.
Acting and Pacing
Look, this is a decent film. I wasn’t going in with any expectations. Did I believe Sydney Sweeney completely? No. But she did a good job at playing this role. Specifically, by the end of the film, it’s very… she’s pretty good. Everybody else in this film is great. The acting is phenomenal.
I was concerned, at the beginning of this film, about the pacing of a movie like this, just because of all the different themes and storytelling that it had to do. But the pacing was impeccable. Not for one minute did I drop off. I wasn’t lost. The way that they told the story was good.
Final Verdict
Overall, I’m giving it a 3.5 out of 5 stars. It was really a solid film.
If you like sports films, if you love a movie that’s full of hope and courage, but also you may get angry watching this film—if those are your sort of films, where it’s a biopic that’s really done well, you’re going to enjoy this film.
Solid 3.5 out of 5 stars. It is being released in theaters next week. Go check it out.
