Christy Martin Biopic

In the last 30 years there has been at least one pugilistic film released every year. Movies about female boxers are still rare. 2000 gave us Michelle Rodriguez in Girlfight. Hilary Swank won a Best Actress Oscar for her role in Clint Eastwood's Million Dollar Baby in 2004. In 2014 India gave us Mary Kom. Last year (2024) we had The Fire Inside, a biopic about Claressa "T-Rex" Shields. And now, just in time for award season we have Sydney Sweeney bringing the story of Christy Salters to the screen.

I knew nothing about Christy Salters going into my screening. This naïve, rambunctious scrapper from West Virginia started her pugilistic journey by entering a local strong man contest in 1989. She kept boxing around the area where she lived winning small purses. By 1995 she was being scouted, taking an offer Jim Martin (Ben Foster) to train her. He got her fights, and she continued to get noticed until she got a meeting with the infamous Don King (Chad L. Coleman), at which point her career skyrocketed.

This is a movie about Christy taken in by a less than scrupulous man, about Christy who preferred women at a time when that was frowned upon, about Christy who is constantly at odds with her religiously snobbish mother Joyce Salters (Merritt Wever). Joyce does everything in her power to come between Christy and her real love Rosie (Jess Gabor). We follow the twists and turns of Christy's life, and the painful existence that attached itself to her.

Sweeney and Foster electrify the screen with their performances. Sure, at times it does feel like another boxing biopic. At other times it is engaging, like riding a roller coaster of emotions with the title character. Sweeney conveys the full range of those emotions, sometimes with just her eyes. Foster embodies the creepy Jim without any sense of self-consciousness. I have always liked Ben Foster no matter what the roll. This is a good bad one for him. And the final act is worth it when it comes. You just wait and see what hits you.

This was much better than I expected and it's pretty accurate to the real story. If you already know her life story there won't be much to learn but that doesn't mean it's not worthy of watching. Great performances all around. And the knockouts during the fight scenes looked real. Definitely worth checking out.

I don't know why some gave high praise except superb performances not much else to it. I love Ben Foster in anything and Sydney Sweeney is exceptional in any role; love them both! Some parts felt slow and some unfortunate decisions but it's a great movie for what it is glad I saw it. Reminds me a little bit of I, Tonya without the amazing soundtrack.

I saw this as the amc mystery movie...I was planning to see it weeks ago as well...and i would've never thought in a million years I wouId say this ls actually better than Smashing Machine, Its boxing but the fights are better, longer and smoother, the story is slightly thin but stiII becomes entertaining, Sydney Sweeney can ACT...it's just better than Smashing Machine...I can compare both films because it's has two actors stepping out their comfort zone, but Sydney definitely stepped out of hers, and she still nailed it...I never heard about this female boxer until I saw this film...it's pretty brutal for a story, but now im interested in this real life boxer's story.

It's not trying to reinvent cinema, but it tells its story with sincerity and a steady emotional pull. The performances feel grounded, the pacing works for the kind of story it wants to tell, and there's a quiet authenticity that kept me engaged throughout.

Sure, it has a few rough edges, but nothing that justifies the harsh criticism it's received. If you go in with reasonable expectations and let the film do its thing, it's an enjoyable and worthwhile watch. Definitely better than its reputation suggests.