Sydney Sweeney's lackluster performance in "Christy" renders David Michôd's directorial effort a forgettable exercise in cliché. The film's uninspired portrayal of the world's first female boxing champion in the 1990s and early 2000s fails to deliver on its promising subject matter, instead relying on tired tropes to tell a story that could have been powerful but isn't.
Sweeney's character, Christy Salters Martin, is a blank slate with whom the audience struggles to connect. Her transformation from high school basketball enthusiast to boxing champion feels like a distant memory, with no discernible arc or growth throughout the film. In contrast, Ben Foster's portrayal of her ghoulish husband-manager Jim Martin is more nuanced, if only because he gets to play him with some semblance of depth.
The real tragedy here lies in the wasted potential of Michôd's subject matter. The true crime elements and themes of domestic abuse and coercive control are glossed over or avoided altogether, replaced by an overly simplistic narrative that relies on Christy's rise to fame as a way to mask her personal struggles. When she does lose – which is rare in this film, with every victory feeling like a chore – the movie dodges confrontation instead of embracing it.
This lack of subtlety is particularly jarring given Sweeney's impressive track record in other films, including "Reality". Here, however, she's saddled with a lead role that fails to engage on any meaningful level. The film's refusal to show Christy's moment of defeat – even against the formidable Laila Ali – feels like a cowardly attempt to avoid confronting the complexities of her story.
Ultimately, "Christy" feels like a missed opportunity. With a more nuanced approach and a deeper understanding of its themes, this could have been a powerful exploration of one woman's journey in a male-dominated sport. Instead, it settles for tired clichés and an unfulfilling viewing experience.
Sweeney's character, Christy Salters Martin, is a blank slate with whom the audience struggles to connect. Her transformation from high school basketball enthusiast to boxing champion feels like a distant memory, with no discernible arc or growth throughout the film. In contrast, Ben Foster's portrayal of her ghoulish husband-manager Jim Martin is more nuanced, if only because he gets to play him with some semblance of depth.
The real tragedy here lies in the wasted potential of Michôd's subject matter. The true crime elements and themes of domestic abuse and coercive control are glossed over or avoided altogether, replaced by an overly simplistic narrative that relies on Christy's rise to fame as a way to mask her personal struggles. When she does lose – which is rare in this film, with every victory feeling like a chore – the movie dodges confrontation instead of embracing it.
This lack of subtlety is particularly jarring given Sweeney's impressive track record in other films, including "Reality". Here, however, she's saddled with a lead role that fails to engage on any meaningful level. The film's refusal to show Christy's moment of defeat – even against the formidable Laila Ali – feels like a cowardly attempt to avoid confronting the complexities of her story.
Ultimately, "Christy" feels like a missed opportunity. With a more nuanced approach and a deeper understanding of its themes, this could have been a powerful exploration of one woman's journey in a male-dominated sport. Instead, it settles for tired clichés and an unfulfilling viewing experience.
. The film just fell flat for me. It felt like they didn't know how to tackle the true crime elements or the themes of domestic abuse... Interesting how they glossed those over in favor of a simplistic narrative 
. Sweeney has shown her range in other movies, but here she's stuck with a role that doesn't engage on any level 
. The film's biggest tragedy is its wasted potential 
.
. I was really looking forward to seeing Sydney Sweeney take on the role of boxing legend Christy Salters Martin, but it seemed like she got lost in a script that relied too heavily on tired tropes 
. I mean, come on, a movie about one of the world's first female boxers and we can't even be bothered to show her struggle? It felt like they were glossing over some really important themes like domestic abuse and coercive control 
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. I couldn't help but feel like she was just going through the motions, with no real growth or development throughout the film. It's like they forgot that her story is supposed to be one of triumph and resilience 
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, but here it just didn't happen 
. As it stands, "Christy" feels like a total missed opportunity 
️.
I just watched "Christy" thinking it was gonna be lit but nope 
Sydney Sweeney deserved better than this weak script . The whole movie felt like a snooze fest 
. I mean what's up with the wife-manager dude, Ben Foster brought some life to that character tho 
. But Christy's just so... blank 
. This movie had potential but Michôd screwed it up 
. I'm still waiting for someone to make a good female boxing biopic 
.
I gotta say, Sydney Sweeney didn't mess up this time...it was the director who dropped the ball 
. David Michôd had some great material with Christy's story, but he just phoned it in instead of putting in some real effort to make it special. The fact that they glossed over the dark stuff like domestic abuse and coercive control is what really gets me 
.
, david michôd always been a bit of a disappointment to me, i love his other work but this one's just a total snooze fest 
, what's really sad is they glossed over all the dark stuff that christy went through in her life, it feels like they're just trying to make a quick buck off someone's true story without giving it the respect it deserves 
, i'll stick to watching reality b/c at least that one knows how to tell a compelling story 
. David Michôd should've been way more nuanced with his direction, I mean, come on, he's a genius director 
! This whole film feels like an opportunity missed...
meanwhile david michôd's reputation is getting trashed over a 2hr movie that's barely scratching the surface of its subject matter