Sydney Sweeney’s fiery performance makes the biopic a surprise hit

If there’s one thing we didn’t need this year, it’s another biopic about a combat sports legend. A month ago, we had Dwayne Johnson in The Smashing Machineand now we have Sidney Sweeney in the Christy Martin biopic.

Sweeney was never better than to inhabit the spirit of Martin in Christy. Unlike Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere — another recent biopic that focused on a specific time in the subject’s life — Christie decides to tell the full story of Martin’s rise, for better or for worse.

It’s tense viewing, given Martina’s relationship with her trainer-turned-abuser/husband James W. Martin (Ben Foster). Sweeney and Foster deserve praise for their performances in their scenes together.

Despite its conventional story and unremarkable direction, Christie tells an inspiring story that will leave you in awe of Sweeney’s gritty performance and impressed by Martin’s real-life toughness and resilience.

Christi Review: What is it all about?

Beginning in the late 80s, Christy begins dating Martin (Sydney Sweeney) in high school. She’s kind of an outcast, because of her sexual preferences. He has to hide his relationship with Rosie (Jess Gabor).

Her home life isn’t much better. As she laments late in the biopic, Martin has been “hiding” her entire life, whether it’s her sexuality or her other life choices.

Merritt Weaver (The Walking Dead, Severance) plays Joyce, Martin’s ultra-conservative mother. Their relationship is heartbreaking, as Joyce is very traditional, and she turns her back on her daughter when times get tough.

A lot of praise will go to Sweeney (and Foster, to a lesser extent), and rightfully so, but Weaver delivers a fantastic performance. It’s chilling to watch her try to turn on her daughter on screen, and it’s almost terrifying how convincing her performance is.

Complicated parental figures are a staple of biopics (as recently seen in the aforementioned Rescue Me From Nowhere). Although it’s not a hit, Christy doesn’t try to clear Martin’s mom’s name, and that adds to the powerful story.

Sensitive script

Christina’s screenplay was a joint effort between husband and wife duo David Michaud (who also directs it) and Myra Foulkes, who brings a much-needed feminine sensitivity to the script.

The same cannot be said for the direction, but the script is very respectful of Martin’s story and women’s boxing. There is no better example of this than their handling of Martin’s relationship with Jim.

These are stomach-turning scenes, as the relationship begins strangely before turning sinister. A lot of credit goes to Foster, who is willing to be the bad guy. Not everyone would be okay with letting themselves be the bad guy to this degree.

A lot of domestic violence goes without saying, but that doesn’t make it any less disturbing. Past films with similar themes, such as Blonde, have exploited their themes. That couldn’t be further from the truth in Christi.

Christina’s clumsy walk

Christy is not just the story of Martin’s toxic relationship; it is about her transition. Michaud and Foulkes play fast and loose with the biopic’s timeline, jumping from the late ’80s to the ’90s and then the 2010s.

Sometimes this kind of fast pacing works, but sometimes it makes the biopic feel disjointed, mostly because it feels like the film is stopping to hit the landmarks of Martin’s life.

It’s just the result of choosing to tell her whole story, not part of it. To her credit, Christie sometimes lets viewers marinate in the scenes.

The pace wouldn’t stand out as much if it weren’t for the fast final hour. Christie clocks in at a generous 135 minutes, which is probably about 15 minutes too long, but there’s a lot of emphasis on her formative years.

By the time it arrives, it begins to build to its crescendo, Christy having to rush through some major life events, only to slow down in the last half hour.

More than a boxing movie, Christie is a character study of a boxing icon. Sure, there are fights, which Michod films very conservatively, but Christie is more about her struggle than the glory she achieved.

Perhaps she could have benefited from a more confident hand behind the camera. There is nothing wrong with Michod’s direction; it’s just very safe. There’s no recognizable aesthetic, and the boxing scenes aren’t as strong as something like Raging Bull or the more recent film, The Smashing Machine.

Sidney Sweeney disappears as Christy Martin

Kudos to Sweeney, who embodies Martin’s life in Christy. She’s clearly trained hard for this role, and her fierceness in combat comes through on screen.

Sweeney has previously shown her dramatic acting chops in movies like Realitia, Americana, Immaculate and even Euphoria. However, Christy may be her defining role for a long time.

Sweeney doesn’t just take on a Southern twang playing Martin. Her physicality and transformation into Martin under the braces and wig is superb.

Clearly, she cares about this role. It remains to be seen whether it will win the Oscar or not – it will be an uphill battle. But as Martin has shown in real life, anything is possible.

Before Christie, Sweeney had never displayed this much charisma. In the future, hopefully, she doesn’t need to inhabit a historical icon to get her to do it again.

Should I watch Christy?

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If you’re not sold on Sweeney as a movie star, Christie will have you buying the stock. She is a force in Christy, and her performance alone is justification enough to watch.

Sweeney’s performance is a revelation, but the film itself isn’t a complete knockout. Christie is a paint-by-numbers biopic. Like many biopics, it was worn by the main actor.

It’s a big recovery for her — especially after the American Eagle jeans debacle.

Grade: B

Christy will be released on November 7.